LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Shelf ,lU%- 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



**. e. 



¥he SyedaY §<§h@®I 



AND 



ITS METHODS. 



A PRACTICAL TREATISE FOR EARNEST WORKERS IN THIS 
DEPARTMENT OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. 




By T. j&~ OlfSrOIfcTS, 

Of the Holston Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 



" Go ye therefore, and teach alienations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things 
whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am with 
you alway, even unto the end of the world.". 



<&r\ftV OF COftoS^v 



Nashville, Te?in. : 

Southern Methodist Publishing House. 

Sunday-school Department, 

1883. 




< 



NOTE. 

The author has done his work so weli, has so thoroughly covered 
the whole ground, that there is neither room nor reason left for any 
thing more. The editor cannot, however, let the book go to press 
without expressing his most sincere and hearty indorsement. It 
is a work of no ordinary merit, and will supply a want long felt by 
Sunday-school workers. We send it forth with our hearty com- 
mendation, and a prayer that God may make it a blessing to all 
who read it. W. G. E. Cunnyngham, 8. S, Editor. 

Nashville, Tenn., February, 1883. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883, 

By the Book Agrnt op the Publishing House of the M. E. Church, Sooth, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



To 

My Old-fashioned Mother, 

From whose Lips 

I first Received the Gospel of Christ, 

And in whose Life 

I have Seen its Principles so Constantly and so 
Beautifully Exemplified, 

This Volume is 

Affectionately Dedicated. 



Preface. 



This book was written because some such book was 
needed. That it is not from a more competent source is 
due to the fact that at the time it was undertaken no one 
else, in the field for which it is specially designed, seemed 
willing to assume the responsibility of its preparation. 
Whether this volume is what was wanted remains to be 
seen. If it is not, the fault lies elsewhere than in the hon- 
est purpose and earnest effort of which it is the represent- 
ative. Of its deficiencies no one can be so thoroughly 
conscious as the writer, since no one knows so well the dis- 
abilities under which he labored. 

Holding the Sunday-school to be of divine origin, it is 
here considered as an institution of the Church. With 
other ecclesiastical agencies and instrumentalities, except 
as related to the subject in hand, this treatise has nothing 
to do. Where thus related, they are spoken of in pre- 
cisely such terms as are employed in the treatment of the 
main subject, and, it may be added, with a freedom which 
may appear to some unwarranted. 

If in these pages the Sunday-school is exalted, the pur- 
pose of this work is thus far accomplished. The author 
takes no stock in the apprehensions of those who tremble 
for "the time-honored ministry," fearing lest it be over- 
shadowed by this last grand expression of God's purpose 
"by the foolishness of preaching to save them that be- 
lieve." The prestige of the pulpit is more liable to eclipse 
from the preaching of foolishness than from any and all 
other causes combined. By as much as the office and min- 

(5) 



6 Preface. 

istry of the Church in its Sunday-school development is 
magnified, by so much is the demand for preachers of right- 
eousness enlarged, the opportunities of the pulpit multi- 
plied, the apostolic "necessity" realized, the apostolic con- 
viction emphasized — " Woe is unto me if I preach not the 
gospel ! " More schools and better schools ; more religious 
teaching and better teachers ; more childhood religion and 
less adult backsliding; more room for working Christians 
and less occasion for idle ones — these are among the ob- 
jects to which this book is devoted. If any one shall 
choose, by wresting passages from their legitimate connec- 
tion — a practice far too common — to extort from them a 
different meaning, he must do so over the protest of the 
author, who, from beginning to end, has written, not from the 
stand-point of a professional " Sunday-school man," but from 
that of a pastor who repudiates the notion that sermoniz- 
ing and socializing are to be accepted as making full proof 
of our ministry, and who steadfastly believes in a heavenly 
calling of God in Christ Jesus which makes every recipient 
of divine grace in some sort a minister of the same to oth- 
ers. Speaking through the Sunday-school of to-day, the 
Master repeats in the plainest possible way, "To every 
man his work." 

Some people are disposed to shut their eyes against all 
appearance of theory. To such fair warning is given : they 
will find the opening chapters of this book full of theoret- 
ical stumbling-blocks, put there on purpose, among other 
reasons, to remind the reader that in any well-accomplished 
work the why is always antecedent to the how; that, in 
other words, the particular way in which a thing ought to 
be done depends upon a particular reason for doing it. A 
good method without an adequate sustaining motive is one 



Preface. 7 

of those things much sought after but never found. "True 
theories are at the root of efficient work. He who holds 
an error is likely to practice it." On this principle we 
may account for the prevalence of defective Sunday-school 
methods and the impotence of many well-meant efforts for 
their improvement. "Among the imperative needs of the 
times," says a sagacious observer, "are a clearer conception 
of the true theory of the Sunday-school and a fuller knowl- 
edge of the philosophy and methods of teaching." This 
book is the outgrowth of a like conviction, and the critical 
reader will be at no loss to discover in the numerous evi- 
dences of an unpremeditated enlargement of the one testi- 
mony to a corresponding increase of the other. 

Some will find this an intensely practical book through- 
out — too much so now and then for real enjoyment, per- 
haps. Willing to be misjudged if thereby the cause of 
Christ may be advanced through a quickening of dormant 
consciences, I have tried to tell, in a straightforward, un- 
mistakable way, those truths which need to be told. Where 
terseness of expression is so required, as in a work of this 
kind, apologies for seeming incivilities can have no place. 
Knowing no other relation to the Sunday-school work — if 
there be any other — than that of a worker, and aiming to 
help most those of my fellow-laborers who most need help, 
I have, in trying to make things plain, sought, rather than 
avoided, " plain English." To this aim the experience and 
observation of years have been made subservient. Among 
all those with whom I have been associated in this field, 
the one most in my thoughts while writing was that wide- 
ly known and most estimable person, "the average man." 
To him, therefore, this little manual will, it is hoped, be 
of special service. 



8 Preface. 

I have sought by due credits to recognize assistance de- 
rived from the writings of others, and trust that no injus- 
tice has been done in this direction. To my brethren of the 
Holston Conference, who so generously sustained me in my 
field work as Conference Sunday-school Secretary, and 
whose faith failed not when something of that work gave 
place to this, I would thus again express my gratitude. But 
for that work of faith this labor of love had not been. I 
gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to the Kev. J. H. 
Vincent, D.D., Primate of the Sunday-school Department, 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and "Bishop of Chautau- 
qua," for special favors experienced at his hands and ex- 
pressed in these pages. To the management of the South- 
ern Methodist Publishing House, and especially to Mr. J. L. 
Kirby, "corrector of the press," I am under obligations for 
the fidelity with which my oftentimes enigmatical "copy" 
has been translated, and for the handsome style in which 
the whole work has been executed. 

Having done what I could to make this book what I 
thought it ought to be, I send it forth upon its mission with 
a prayer to Him in whose fear it was begun and of whose 
abounding mercies it has been brought to completion, that 
by His attendant blessing it may in some measure contrib- 
ute to the development of all that is truest and best in the 
principles and methods of Sunday-school work, to the end 
that souls may be led to study more closely the word of 
God, to believe more implicitly on the Son of God, to re- 
ceive more abundantly of the Spirit of God, and live more 
constantly to the glory of God. J. A. Lyons. 

Knoxville, Tenn., January, 1883. 



Contents. 



PART FIRST. 
History of the Sunday-school. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Development of the Sunday-school Idea 13 

II. The Kaikes Movement 20 

PART SECOND. 
Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 

I. Bringing Souls to Christ 33 

II. Building up Souls in Christ 43 

PART THIRD. 
The Home and the Sunday-school. 

I. The Kingdom of the Hearth-stone 49 

II. Alliance Between Home and School , . . . 57 

PART FOURTH. 
Church and School. 

I. The Church General and the Sunday-school. . . 65 

II. Preaching and Teaching 71 

III. The School System 80 

IV. A Summary of Benefits 91 

(9) 



10 Contents. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

V. The Church Denominational and the Sunday- 
school 95 

VI. The Church Local and the Sunday-school 102 

VII. Ingathering 109 

VIII. Discipleship 117 

IX. Maintenance of the School 122 

X. Mission Schools 127 

XI. Sunday-school Organization and Management. 131 

PART FIFTH. 
Officers and Teachers. 

I. The Pastor's Place 142 

II. Serving the School from the Pulpit 152 

III. Preaching to Children 157 

IV. The Superintendent 163 

V. Concerning "Our Superintendent" 172 

VI. Other Officers 187 

VII. The Teacher's Office 194 

VIII. The Lack of Teachers 200 

IX. Training Teachers. 208 

X. Unconverted Teachers 215 

XI. The Teacher's Spirit 220 

PART SIXTH. 
Week-day Work. 

I. An Indispensable Condition of Success 227 

II. Studying the Lesson 234 



Contents. II 

CHAPTER PAGE 

III. Other Duties , 242 

IV. The Pastor's Work 249 

V. The Superintendent's Work 255 

VI. The Teacher's Work 262 

VII. Preparing to Teach 266 

PART SEVENTH. 
School-room Work. 

I. Preliminaries 274 

II. Opening the School 287 

III. The Lesson Service — Securing Attention 305 

IV. The Lesson Service — Questioning 314 

V. The Lesson Service — Talking to the Class 325 

VI. Closing Exercises 335 

PART EIGHTH. 
Incidentals. 

I. The Eecords 340 

II. The Finances 346 

III. The Library and Its Management 357 

IV. Special Occasions 376 

V. Teachers' Meetings 383 

VI. The Service of Song 389 

VII. The Use of Illustrations 398 

VIII. The Blackboard 407 

IX. The Use of Printer's Ink 426 

' X. Country Sunday-schools — Winter-quarters. . . . 435 



12 Contents. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XI. Architecture 469 

XII. The Infant Class.. 483 

XIII. Sunday-school Conventions and Institutes 488 

Sunday-school Statistics for the United States and 

British Provinces 500 

Form of Collection Envelope 503 

Form of Library Check 504 

Form of Library Card 505 



PART FIRST. 

History of the Sunday-school. 



CHAPTER L 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL IDEA. 

The modern Sunday-school is not of 

man's discovery, or invention, much less is it of his 
creation. It is a growth ; as truly and legitimately 
so as the good tree that dispenses its blessings in 
foliage, flowers, fragrance, and fruit. Both are the 
outcome of good seed in good soil. 

The germinal idea of the Sunday-school — 
Soul-culture — hidden in the heart of man from the 
beginning, and hinted at in primeval sacrifices, be- 
comes clearly historic in God's commendation of 
Abraham, the father of the faithful : " For I know 
him, that he will command his children and his 
household after him, and they shall keep the w T ay 
of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the 
Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath 
spoken of him." 

Household religion is the root of all or- 
ganic religious life and activity. First the patri- 
arch, and afterward the prophet; Abraham the 
father, then Moses the lawgiver. 

(13) 



14 History of the Sunday-school. 



The duty of teaching the young in the prin- 
ciples of religion stands as a distinct and unequivo- 
cal clause in the original constitution of the Church 
of God. 

In his valedictory address, Moses, acting under 
the divine sanction, rehearsed the law of Sinai, 
and, speaking with equal authority, said : " Hear, 
O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and 
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine 
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 
And these words, which I command thee this day, 
shall be in thine heart ; and thou shalt teach them 
diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them 
when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou 
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and 
when thou risest up." 

To WHOM WAS THIS LANGUAGE ADDRESSED ? To 

parents ? Certainly. To parents only ? No, but to 
Israel—" all Israel "— to the Church of God. Then, 
as now, there were orphanage and other conditions 
adverse to moral and religious culture not provided 
for in statutes governing the family. Then, as 
now, the pity of the Lord was equal to the occasion. 
"Thou, Israel, shalt teach thy children " — teach 
them the law of the Lord — "teach diligently." 
How frequently this injunction was repeated in the 
after-history of the Jewish Church, and with what 
emphasis, is well known to every Bible-student. 



Development of the Sunday-school Idea. 15 



That specific methods were employed in dis- 
charge of this obligation can hardly be doubted. 
What these methods were we do not know, nor is 
it to us a matter of serious concern. Divine wis- 
dom made the duty plain ; means for its faithful 
performance were within easy reach of a sanctified 
intelligence, " as it is at this day." 

The Jewish synagogues — said to have 
numbered in Jerusalem alone over four hundred 
and fifty — furnished the model after which the 
services of the primitive Christian Church were for 
the most part fashioned. These were admirably 
adapted for securing to the people systematic in- 
struction in the Scriptures. 

Passages referring to public exercises in the syna- 
gogues indicate that they were held on the Sabbath- 
day exclusively. In its principal features the Sun- 
day-school service of our day closely resembles that 
of the ancient synagogue. 

The faithfulness of the early Chris- 
tians, in associated study of the word of God and 
teaching the young the doctrines and practice of 
religion, is fully attested by the history of their 
times. " Their tender solicitude for the religious 
instruction of their children," says Coleman, "is 
one of their most beautiful characteristics." After 
telling how the Bible furnished stories for the 
nursery, entertainment for the fireside, and did 



16 History of the Sunday-school. 



service as almost the first, last, and only school- 
book, he adds : "As the mind of the child expanded, 
the parents made it their sacred duty and delight- 
ful task daily to exercise him in the recital of se 
lect passages of Scripture relating to the doctrine*, 
and duties of religion." Mosheim says: "There 
can be no doubt but that the children of Chris- 
tians were carefully trained up from their in- 
fancy, and were early put to reading the sacred 
books and learning the principles of religion. 
For this purpose, schools were erected from the 
beginning." 

As to the manner in which these schools were 
organized and conducted, we are left to conjecture. 
That they were something different from the cate- 
chumenical schools is clear. These latter were for 
the especial benefit of persons who were candidates 
for baptism. They were like our Sunday-schools in 
that the aim was " to impart a knowledge of the let- 
ter and meaning of the Holy Scriptures, and to de- 
velop a life of faith in the pupil." They were unlike 
Sunday-schools in that " they were taught privately, 
on week-days chiefly," by bishops, presbyters, dea- 
cons, and other official catechists. After a term of 
instruction, varying at different times from eight 
months to three years, the catechumens— pupils — 
were publicly examined before the congregation, 
and, if found qualified, were baptized. With the 



Development of the Sunday-school Idea. 17 



administration of this rite they graduated from the 
school. 

In the Middle Ages, true religion was as a 
mere rush-light, shining here and there through the 
long barbaric night. Among the clergy, the spirit 
of humility, that enters the kingdom of heaven as a 
little child, was unknown. Wisdom of words warred 
against the simplicity of the gospel. Heathen phi- 
losophy w T as substituted for the precepts of Christ — 
logic for love; for bread the children received a 
stone. The possible exceptions to this statement 
were as rare as was the exercise of Christian char- 
ity. The catechumenical schools gradually de- 
clined until about the close of the seventh century, 
where all traces of them are lost. Conceding the 
statements of some writers as to the fidelity of the 
Culdees and Waldenses in the matter of religious 
education, the history of this period, taken alto- 
gether, is fairly epitomized by one who says there 
\\ T as "only an occasional prince, or pastor, or lay- 
man, in the spirit of the Master, to teach the chil- 
dren the way of life." 

A dark picture — truly so. Obscure in detail, 
and, as to the main fact, inconclusive. Granted. 
But let criticism be suspended until it is illumi- 
nated by the light of later events. It will then 
be found that the "Sunday-school idea" is present 
in all its essential elements and in unbroken suc- 
2 



18 History of the Sunday-school. 



cession. "Upon what grounds," it may be asked, 
"is such an assertion possible?" Among others, 
this : that without it the Church must have perished. 

With the open Bible of the Reforma- 
tion came liberty of conscience, expressing itself in 
word and action. " The hearts of the fathers being 
turned to the children," in the year 1527 Sunday- 
schools were established by Luther at Wittemberg; 
about the year 1560, by John Knox, in Scotland ; and 
toward the close of the sixteenth century, in Lorn- 
bardy, by Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan. In the 
celebrated cathedral of Milan there is now a large 
school, taught by priests, said to have been kept 
up, with slight intermissions, since his day. It may 
here be stated that while catechetical instruction 
has had among Roman Catholics most zealous ad- 
vocates (e. g., the Jesuits), the Sunday-school system 
has never flourished under popish supremacy. Cir- 
cumstances have forced its adoption, in a modified 
form, by Romanists in the United States, and will 
work the same result on the European continent at 
an early day. 

Eighteenth Century.— It is of undoubted 
record that Sunday-schools were established in vari- 
ous parts of England and on the continent during 
the seventeenth and early in the eighteenth centu- 
ry. The first of which we have knowledge in the 
United States were, one at Roxbury, Massachu- 



Development of the Sunday-school Idea. 19 



setts, in 1674, and one at Plymouth, same State, 
in 1680. 

It is well known that John Wesley organized a 
successful school at Savannah, Georgia, as early as 
1736 ; and one established at Ephratah, Lancaster 
county, Pennsylvania, in 1747, continued uninter- 
ruptedly for more than thirty years, until the build- 
ing in which it was held was taken for a hospital 
during the Kevolutionary War. 



20 History of the Sunday-school. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE EAIKES MOVEMENT. 

The first real epoch in Sunday-school 
history begins with the founding of the Glouces- 
ter schools by Robert Raikes, in the year 1780. 

Mr. Raikes was born in Gloucester, England, 
September 14, 1736, and on the death of his father 
became publisher of the Gloucester Journal. His 
first philanthropic work, of which record is pre- 
served, was in ameliorating the condition of prison- 
ers confined for petty offenses in the county jail. 
Thus obedient to the promptings of a generous 
Christian spirit, his mind and heart w T ere being 
trained for nobler service. 

In order that Mr. Raikes's connection with the 
Sunday-school movement may be put in the clear- 
est possible light, and that the many conflicting 
statements and unfounded opinions which have ob- 
tained currency, respecting both the man and his 
work, may be stamped with their real value, w r e 
let him tell his own story, in his own singularly 
modest and convincing w T ay, as it is found in Lloyd's 
"Life of Robert Raikes." 

In the Gloucester Journal of November 3, 1783, 
Mr. Raikes inserted the following paragraph: 

"Some of the clergy in different parts of this 
country, bent upon attempting a reform of the 



The Raikes Movement. 21 



lower class, are establishing Sunday-schools for 
rendering the Lord's-day subservient to the ends of 
instruction, which has hitherto been prostituted to 
bad purposes. Farmers, and other inhabitants of 
the towns and villages, complain that they receive 
more injury in their property on the Sabbath than 
all the week besides. This, in a great measure, 
proceeds from the lawless state of the younger 
class, who are allowed to run wild on that day, 
free from every restraint. To remedy this evil, 
persons duly qualified are employed to instruct 
those that cannot read, and those that may have 
learned to read are taught the catechism and con- 
ducted to church. By thus keeping the minds en- 
gaged, the day passes profitably, and not disagree- 
ably. In those parishes where the plan has been 
adopted, we are assured that the behavior of the 
children is greatly civilized. The- barbarous igno- 
rance in which they had before lived being in some 
degree dispelled, they begin to give proof that those 
persons are mistaken who consider the lower orders 
of mankind as incapable of improvement, and 
therefore think an attempt to reclaim them im- 
practicable, or, at least, not worth the trouble/' 

This simple statement was copied by the Lon- 
don papers. The effect was wonderful. "Letters 
of inquiry poured in upon the astonished Mr. 
Raikes" — among others one from Colonel Townley, 



22 History of the Sunday-school. 



a gentleman of Lancashire, addressed to the mayor 
of Gloucester, requesting fuller information of the 
matter. Mr. Raikes, under date of November 25, 
1783, replied as follows: 

The Townley Letter.— "Sir: My friend, 
the mayor, has just communicated to me the letter 
which you have honored him with, inquiring into 
the nature of the Sunday-schools. The beginning 
of this scheme was entirely owing to accident. 
Some business leading me one morning into the 
suburbs of the city, where the lowest of the people 
(who are principally employed in the pin manu- 
factory) chiefly reside, I was struck with concern 
at seeing a group of children, wretchedly ragged, 
at play in the street. I asked an inhabitant whether 
those children belonged to that part of the town, 
and lamented their misery and idleness. 'Ah! 
sir,' said the woman to whom I was speaking, 
'could you take a view of this part of the town on a 
Sunday, you would be shocked indeed, for then the 
street is filled with a multitude of these wretches, 
w T ho, released from employment, spend their time 
in noise and riot, playing at chuck, and cursing 
and swearing in a manner so horrid as to convey 
to any serious mind an idea of hell rather than 
any other place. We have a worthy clergyman 
(Rev. Thomas Stock), minister of our parish, who 
has put some of them to school ; but upon the Sab- 



The Raikes Movement. 23 



bath they are all given up to follow their own in- 
clinations without restraint, as their parents, totally 
abandoned themselves, have no idea of instilling 
into the minds of their children principles to which 
they themselves are entire strangers.' 

" This conversation suggested to me that it would 
be at least a harmless attempt, if it were produc- 
tive of no good, should some little plan be formed 
to check this deplorable profanation of the Sab- 
bath. I then inquired of the woman if there were 
any decent, well-disposed women in the neighbor- 
hood, who kept schools for teaching to read. I 
presently was directed to four. To these I applied, 
and made an agreement with them to receive as 
many children as I should send upon the Sunday, 
whom they were to instruct in reading, and in the 
Church catechism. For this I engaged to pay 
them each a shilling for their day's employment. 
The women seemed pleased with the proposal. I 
then waited on the clergyman before-mentioned, 
and imparted to him my plan. He was so much 
satisfied with the idea that he engaged to lend his 
assistance by going round to the schools, on a Sun- 
day afternoon, to examine the progress that was 
made, and to enforce order and decorum among 
such a set of little heathens. 

"This, sir, was the commencement of the plan. 
It is now about three years since we began, and I 



24 History of the Sunday-school. 



could wish you were here to make inquiry into the 
effect. A woman, who lives in a lane where I had 
fixed a school, told me, some time ago, that the 
place was quite a heaven upon Sundays, compared 
to what it used to be. 

"The numbers who have learned to read and 
say their catechism are so great that I am aston- 
ished at it. Upon the Sunday afternoon the mis- 
tresses take their scholars to church — a place into 
which neither they nor their ancestors ever entered 
with a view to the glory of God. But what is yet 
more extraordinary, within this month, these little 
ragamuffins have, in great numbers, taken it into 
their heads to frequent the early morning prayers, 
which are held every morning at the cathedral, at 
seven o'clock. I believe there were near fifty this 
morning. They assemble at the house of one of 
the mistresses, and walk before her to church, two 
and two, in as much order as a company of sol- 
diers. I am generally at church, and after service 
they all come round me to make their bow, and, 
if any animosities have arisen, to make their com- 
plaint. The great principle I inculcate is, to be 
kind and good-natured to each other; to be dutiful 
to their parents; not to offend God by cursing and 
swearing; and such little plain precepts as all may 
comprehend. As my profession is that of a printer, 
I have printed a little book, which I give amongst 



The Raikes Movement. 25 



them; and some friends of mine, subscribers to 
the 'Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge/ 
sometimes make me a present of a parcel of Bibles, 
Testaments, etc., which I distribute as rewards to 
the deserving. The success that has attended this 
scheme has induced one or two of my friends to 
adopt the plan, and set up Sunday-schools in other' 
parts of the city ; and now a whole parish has taken 
up the object, so that I flatter myself in time the 
good effects will appear so conspicuous as to be- 
come generally adopted. The number of children 
at present thus engaged on the Sabbath is between 
two and three hundred, and it is increasing every 
week, as the benefit is universally seen. I have 
endeavored to engage the clergy of my acquaint- 
ance that reside in their parishes. One has en- 
tered into the scheme with great fervor; and it 
was in order to incite others to follow the example 
that I inserted in my paper the paragraph which I 
suppose you saw copied into the London papers. I 
cannot express to you the pleasure I often receive 
in discovering genius and innate good dispositions 
among this little multitude. It is botanizing in hu- 
man nature. I have often, too, the satisfaction of 
receiving thanks from parents for the reformation 
they perceive in their children. Often have I 
given them kind admonitions, which I always do 
in the mildest and gentlest manner. The going 



26 History of the Sunday-school. 



among them, doing them little kindnesses, distrib- 
uting trifling rewards, and ingratiating myself with 
them, I hear, have given mean ascendency greater 
than I ever could have imagined \ for I am told by 
their mistresses that they are very much afraid of 
my displeasure. If you ever pass through Glou- 
cester, I shall be happy to pay my respects to you, 
and to show you the effects of this effort at civili- 
zation. If the glory of God be promoted in any, 
even the smallest, degree, society must reap some 
benefit. If good seed be sown in the mind at an 
early period of human life, though it shows itself 
not again in many years, it may please God at 
some future period to cause it to spring up, and to 
bring forth a plenteous harvest. 

" With regard to the rules adopted, I only re- 
quire that they come to school on Sunday as clean 
as possible. Many were at first deterred because 
they wanted decent clothing, but I could not un- 
dertake to supply this defect. I argue, therefore, 
if you can loiter about without shoes and in a 
ragged coat, you may as well come to school, and 
learn what may tend to your good, in that garb. 
I reject none on that footing. All that I require 
are clean hands, clean face, and the hair combed ; 
if you have no clean shirt, come in that which 
you have on. The want of decent apparel, at 
first, kept great numbers at a distance; but they 



The Raikes Movement. 27 



now begin to grow wiser, and all are pressing to 
learn. I have had the good luck to procure places 
for some that were deserving, which has been of 
great use. You will understand that these chil- 
dren are from six years old to twelve or fourteen. 
Boys and girls above this age, who have been totally 
undisciplined, are generally too refractory for this 
government. A reformation in society seems to me 
only practicable by establishing notices of duty 
and practical habits of order and decorum at an 
early age. But whither am I running? I am 
ashamed to see how much I have trespassed on 
your patience ; but I thought the most complete 
idea of Sunday-schools was to be conveyed to you 
by telling what first suggested the thought. The 
same sentiments would have arisen in your mind 
had they r^ave happened to have been called forth 
as they w T ere suggested to me. 

"I have no doubt that you will find great im- 
provement to be made on this plan. The minds of 
men have taken great hold on that prejudice, we 
are to do nothing on the Sabbath-day which may 
be deemed labor, and therefore we are to be ex- 
cused from all application of mind as well as body. 
The rooting out this prejudice is the point I aim at 
as my favorite object. 

"Our Saviour takes particular pains to man- 
ifest that whatever tended to promote the health 



28 History of the Sunday-school. 



and happiness of our fellow-creatures were sacri- 
fices peculiarly acceptable on that day. 

"I do not think I have written so long a letter 
for some years. But you will excuse me; my 
heart is warm in the cause. 

" I think this is the kind of reformation most 
requisite in this kingdom. Let our patriots em- 
ploy themselves in rescuing their countrymen 
from that despotism which tyrannical passions 
and vicious inclinations exercise over them, and 
they will find that true liberty and national wel- 
fare are more essentially promoted than by any 
reform in parliament. 

"As often as I have attempted to conclude, some 
new idea has arisen. This is strange, as I am 
writing to a person whom I never have seen, and 
perhaps may never see ; but I have f^Jt that we 
think alike ; I shall therefore only add my ar- 
dent wishes that your views of promoting the 
happiness of society may be attended with every 
possible success, conscious that your own inter- 
nal enjoyment will thereby be considerably ad- 
vanced. 

" I have the honor to be, sir, yours, etc., 

K. Kaikes." 

This letter, through Colonel Townley's influ- 
ence, was published in the Gentleman's Magazine, 
in 1784. The Sunday-school idea, thus becoming 



The Raikes Movement. 29 



popularized, bore immediate and abundant fruit 
throughout Great Britain. Within a few months 
schools on the Gloucester plan sprung into exist- 
ence all over the country. The Stockport school, 
organized in 1784, has since exceeded in numbers, 
and perfection of its establishment, any Sunday- 
school in the world.* 

In four years from the organization of Raikes's 
schools, more than two hundred and fifty thousand 
children in England were enjoying the blessing 
of Sunday-school instruction. Bishop Asbury is 
credited with having propagated the Raikes system 
first in America, by organizing a school in the 
house of Thomas Crenshaw, Hanover county, Vir- 
ginia, about the year 1785. A general interest 
was awakened in the beginning of the present 
century, astonishing progress being made during 
the years 1814, 1815, and 1816. "In 1817," ac- 
cording to Pardee, "Sunday-schools were organ- 
ized in most of our flourishing Churches and 
Christian communities throughout this country." 

*It now has four branches. The parent school in- 
cludes about 3,600 scholars, and the four branches about 
1,200 ; about 4,800 in all. There are more than 400 teach- 
ers. Probably the largest single school in the United 
States is the Bethel Mission at Cincinnati, having a mem- 
bership of about 3,000. In the various Sunday-schools 
under the direction of Trinity Church, New York, there 
are more than 4,200 scholars, and nearly 300 teachers. 



30 History of the Sunday-school. 



A new and blessed era dawned upon the 
world when the first volunteer teachers entered a 
Sunday-school room to minister the gospel of God's 
grace to the poor, without money and without price.* 
That noble vanguard — nameless in human history, 
but well known to the Master — surmounting the 
last barrier erected by priestcraft, planted firmly 
the standard of apostolic times,f and asserted the 
blood-bought right of laymen "to tell good tid- 
ings" of salvation by virtue of their own regener- 
ation in Jesus Christ. The example was an in- 
spiration — the blessed results are seen the wide 
world over. 

In 1780 Sunday-schools were practically un- 
known. In 1880 there were in the bounds of 
Protestant Christendom not less than one and 
a-half million of teachers, and twelve and a-half 
millions of pupils, in our Sunday-schools — a total 
of full fourteen millions. 

Reviewing the whole subject, we are 
led, by a careful examination of facts and related 
evidence, to the following conclusions: 

1. That the "Sunday-school idea" is prehistoric 
in its antiquity, and, in its essential elements, has 

*In 1794 out of nearly thirty teachers, six only were 
hired; the rest "voluntarily put themselves under the di- 
rection of the visitors as regular teachers." 

fActs xi. 19-21. 



The Raikes Movement. 31 



constituted an important feature of the Church in 
all ages. 

2. That this idea assumed definite shape in the 
organization of schools assembling on the Sabbath 
for purposes of religious instruction, at a remote 
period, which cannot now be accurately deter- 
mined from history; but very certainly early in 
the Christian era, if not anterior to it. 

3. That such schools at a later date were iso- 
lated, limited in influence, and of a temporary 
character. 

4. That to Kobert Eaikes, a large-hearted Chris- 
tian layman, the Protestant world rightly accords 
the honor of being the author of the modern 
Sunday-school movement; as truly the founder 
of the Sunday-school system of to-day as John 
Wesley was of Methodism. 

5. That in the four schools established simulta- 
neously in the city of Gloucester by Mr. Eaikes, 
religious teaching, by both precept and example, 
was made prominent from the beginning.* 

6. That the success of this movement is tracea- 
ble to a combination of causes. Notably, (1) The 

* " The children were to come soon after ten in the 
morning and stay till twelve: they were then to go home, 
and return at one; and after reading a lesson they were to 
be conducted to church. After church they were to be 
employed in repeating the catechism till half-past five, 



32 History of the Sunday-school. 



loyalty of Mr. Raikes to the principles of the 
gospel of Christ; his steadfast zeal, and his judi- 
cious use of the press and all other forces at com- 
mand. (2) The Wesleyan revival, which at this 
juncture swept "as a mighty wave of light " over 
England — powerfully stimulating, if indeed it did 
not, as some roundly assert, originate, a gratui- 
tous teaching-service. Unquestionably, just when 
the field opened up, a multitude of willing workers 
were at hand. (3) The fostering care of powerful 
"societies," "associations," and "unions."* (4) 
Over all, the great finger of God's providence is vis- 
ible, pointing to the Sunday-school as of divine ori- 
gin, of priceless value, and of untold possibilities.f 

and then be dismissed with an injunction to go home with- 
out making a noise, and by no means to play in the street. 
This was the general outline of regulation." (Mr. Raikes' s 
Bradford letter; June 5, 1784.) 

*A London " Society," organized 1785, chiefly to pay 
teachers, merged into the present "London Sunday-school 
Union," 1803; "New York Sunday-school Union," 1816; 
"American Sunday-school Union," 1824; and many others 
less prominent — general and denominational. 

fMr. Raikes died April 5, 1811, aged seventy-five years, 
and was buried in the south aisle of St. Mary's Church, 
Gloucester, as an inscription therein shows. At the Inter- 
national Centennial Celebration, July 3, 1880, his statue 
was unveiled on the Thames embankment, London, in the 
presence of a multitude of Sunday-school representatives 
from all parts of the Christian world. 



PART SECOND. 

Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



CHAPTER I. 
BKINGING SOULS TO CHRIST. 

The Present Purpose. — Whatever may 
have been the aim of the primitive Sunday-school, 
and however vague the conceptions of the pioneers 
in this cause, the grand purpose of this agency is 
now so clearly revealed that he must be spiritually 
blind who fails to perceive it ; or, seeing, culpably 
stupid if he ignores it. It is, first, to bring souls 
to Christ; and second, to build them up in Christ. 
Mistaking this point insures a series of blunders in 
Sunday-school operations which must discount ev- 
ery effort, if they do not indeed culminate in down- 
right failure. And just here mistakes are made; 
hence much misdirected zeal, much time wasted, 
much labor lost, and many souls imperiled. Not 
so much because the chief end is unknown, but 
because it is lost sight of through undue consider- 
ation of the means employed. 

There are many legitimate objects of 
Sunday-school enterprise; but legitimate only as 
they are made subordinate to achievement of the 
3 (33) 



34 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



main purpose. This principle is to be held in con- 
stant remembrance as the only true criterion in 
estimating the value of Sunday-school methods — 
anywhere, everywhere alike. Forgetful of jt, we 
are adrift without chart or compass. 

Fundamental Truths. — Unregenerate hu- 
man nature is the same in every Sunday-school room 
the world over. Regardless of age, sex, rank, en- 
dowments, or attainments, this is always and every- 
where true. " The carnal mind is enmity against 
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nei- 
ther indeed can be." Human character developed 
in opposition to the law of God falls so far below 
the human ideal of what it should be that, leaving 
out of view the divine standard, the doctrine of 
depravity is established in every candid judg- 
ment. Depravity may be defined, briefly, as a 
tendency in human nature which expresses it- 
self, more or less openly, in willful violations of 
divine law. The human will is free to operate 
without constraint within a certain prescribed 
boundary. It has the power to go farther, but not 
the right. Collision with the will of God indi- 
cates that it has gone to the full extent of the 
limits prescribed. Conscience, like a faithful sen- 
tinel, calls a halt. Going consciously beyond that 
point is sin. For every sin there is a penalty 
somewhere. It is the sjfcinff of death. 



Bringing Souls to Christ. 35 



The Leading Object. — To trace out and es- 
tablish in the minds of scholars this boundary line 
between the right and the wrong — to assist con- 
science in restraining those who would go beyond 
that line, and in reclaiming those who have gone 
beyond it; to bring them "to the obedience of 
Christ," through faith in him as the atoning Sac- 
rifice for sin, the perfect Example of right-being 
and right-doing — this, in humble reliance upon 
the Spirit's help, is the first great aim of Sunday- 
school work. 

The chief instrument in the accomplishment 
of this work is the written word of God, which, con- 
taining as it does all things necessary to salvation, 
is the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both of our 
faith and practice. The intellect, although per- 
meated by a depraved moral sense, has an affinity 
for truth. The mathematician is not satisfied with 
a false result; the artist finds his noblest reward in 
the assurance that his representation of an object 
is true to life. It is this innate, this well-nigh ir- 
repressible, longing after the truth that makes the 
word of God in the hands of the living teacher 
"quick and powerful, and sharper than any two- 
edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder 
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow." 
It is this which makes it "a discerner of the 
thoughts and intents of the heart." So long as 



36 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



conscience lives, the voice of divine truth will 
awaken responsive echoes in the human soul. 

The Word. — " God, who at sundry times and in 
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers 
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto 
us by his Son." His revelation of saving truth to 
dying men culminated in this manifestation of him- 
self in the person of Jesus — the Christ, the incar- 
nate Word — "the way, the truth, and the life." 
Coming into the world in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, by a sinless life, and by a sacrifice of himself 
for the salvation of sinners, he taught men how to 
live, and love, and die, and live again and love 
forever. In Jesus the world's Redeemer is real- 
ized — earth's highest conception of heaven's ideal 
man — the perfect Pattern, after which God would 
have every human life fashioned. 

Our Opportunity. — In the Sunday-school we 
find adults and young people — the latter largely 
in the majority — representing every class of socie- 
ty and every phase of intellectual and moral 
character. But however dissimilar in other re- 
spects, all are alike in that they need the forgiv- 
ing grace of God, and regeneration by his Holy 
Spirit, to fit them for citizenship in his kingdom. 
Both are insured by personal acceptance of Jesus 
as the Christ, the sinner's all-sufficient Saviour. 
This much is clear. The great question is this: 



Bringing Souls to Christ. 37 



How may our scholars be induced thus to ac- 
cept Jesus? The only possible answer is this: 
By bringing them face to face with him. The 
greatest foe to saving faith is self-sufficiency — for 
saving faith means, self surrender to Christ. The 
power of pride is broken in the presence of his 
spotless life; it cannot look upon the face of the 
suffering Son of God on Calvary and live. So, we 
are to bring our pupils to Jesus, in order, first, that 
there may be wrought in them a conviction of 
need ; for without a sense of "the exceeding sinful- 
ness of sin," and of danger through exposure to it 
and participation in it, there can be no desire for 
salvation from it. Now, what we maintain is 
this : that with the faithful presentation of Jesus 
there comes to the impenitent soul a sense of wrong- 
being and wrong-doing as certainly as effect follows 
cause. It is inevitable. The word of God from 
Calvary is more potent than the thunder-tones of 
Sinai. The language of the cross is unmistak- 
able. No sinner can hear it and escape convic- 
tion. 

First getting consent to the truth of revela- 
tion, the next step is an appeal to this universal 
consciousness of wrong - being and wrong - doing. 
When once the intellect capitulates, we are to 
proceed without delay to win the heart. Do not 
waste precious time looking for the w T hite flag of 



38 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



unconditional surrender. Watch keenly for signs 
of a fettered and distressed conscience. That is 
your signal. Now, from the depths of your own 
redeemed soul bring forth with prayer the cross of 
Christ, in all its rigorous manifestations of divine 
justice, and display it under the transforming sun- 
light of divine love. Trust God's Spirit to do the 
rest. Time is frittered away and strength vainly 
spent by preachers and teachers in examinations 
of rubbish from the deserted outposts, while Satan 
is strengthening his defenses in the citadel of 
the heart. In all our congregations and Sunday- 
schools there are persons under conviction for sin 
— conscious of their need of forgiveness and of 
cleansing — w T aiting, watching, wondering why no 
soldier of the cross discovers their extremity; why 
none come with a direct summons for surrender; 
why no friendly hand is extended to lead them to 
Jesus, whom, having resisted, they fear — whose 
friendship they covet yet distrust, because they 
do not know him as he is, but as their fears por- 
tray him. There are thousands of such people 
standing on the threshold of eternal life. They 
would enter in if they only knew the Father, the 
Son, our Elder Brother, Friend, and Saviour — if 
they only knew how welcome they would be. 
They are w T aiting for those who do know to tell 
them — to bring them in — to introduce them to 



Bringing Souls to Christ. 39 



our Lord. For "this is life eternal that they 
might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus 
Christ, whom thou hast sent." Away with the 
gaudy parade-dress and flourish of intellectual 
trumpets in the presence of these anxious ones ! 
To amuse, to astonish, to terrify them — this is not 
our mission ; but rather to develop the faith that 
is in them, by manifesting the gracious purpose of 
our Lord concerning them — by bringing unto 
them "good tidings of great joy." Leaving the 
triumphant truth to garrison and fortify the judg- 
ment, we are to set about the conquest of their 
hearts. These must be won, or all else is lost 
Wherefore, O brother beloved, to whom is com- 
mitted a dispensation of the gospel of God's 
grace, let converted heads alone, and lay siege to 
unconverted hearts. Intrench yourself in the 
affections of your pupils, and push the bloodless 
battle to the very gates of the soul. But you will 
not, cannot; the way is by God-given instinct 
barred against you if your own heart is riot right. 
If it is, do not fail to go at every call of the Spir- 
it. Go with confidence. Depend upon it, he will 
be there before you — answering from within your 
every effort from without. Keep the cross of 
Christ constantly in view. Point to him who 
was "wounded for our transgressions," who w T as 
"bruised for our iniquities;" the utterance of di- 



40 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



vine compassion in language unmistakable — the 
word of reconciliation. Let your unsaved pupils 
see how ready Jesus is to bless them, by telling 
them how seeking him, you found him seeking you ; 
by showing them how first embracing him, he now 
embraces you, and blesses you, and saves you. 
The intuitive methods of a redeemed soul, striving 
to bring other souls to the Redeemer, are wise 
above all the wisdom of earthly philosophers. 
Philip, having found Jesus, accepted him as the 
Messiah, and sought to bring a friend to him. 
The skeptical Nathanael hesitated. "Can there 
any good thing come out of Nazareth?" The 
foundation of argument was swept away in an in- 
stant, by the almost impatient response from the 
glad heart of Philip : " Come and see." The teach- 
ers who best succeed in bringing souls to Christ 
are those who spend least time in parleying with 
unbelief, and oftenest challenge faith by saying to 
their pupils, "Come and see." 

Immediate Results. — The sheaves gathered 
during seasons of revival in the Church are largely 
the product of seed sown by faithful men and 
women in the Sunday-school. But are we reaping 
all that ripens ? No ; much that is ready for the 
garner of the Master falls to the ground, and goes 
to waste for want of harvest-hands. Teachers un- 
taught to reap wait for the preacher to come and 



Bringing Souls to Christ. 41 



thrust in the sickle. They wait for the protracted- 
meeting, which in turn must wait on arbitrary cir- 
cumstances. And often, while they wait, the pro- 
pitious harvest season slips away. During the 
revival-meeting we do well to press upon the atten- 
tion of sinners the folly of delay. But have we no 
reason to fear that this folly is confirmed in them 
by the absence of anxiety in us at other times? 
Do we, in our w T eekly lessons, teach them that 
Jesus waits constantly for their coming ? Do we, 
every Sabbath, tell them, "Now is the accepted 
time ; now is the day of salvation ? " Do w 7 e seek 
as we ought, week by week, to bring them to 
Jesus ? If not, we need not wonder that they re- 
fuse to heed the unfamiliar voice of warning, or 
of invitation — the voice being as that of a stran- 
ger. A conviction of the sacred duty and the 
wondrous privilege of bringing their pupils quiet- 
ly, one by one, to Jesus, by personal effort, without 
waiting for preacher or protracted-meeting, has 
not taken hold upon the hearts of our Sunday- 
school teachers as it ought, and must, to make 
this agency the mighty power of God he so man- 
ifestly designs it should be. Heaven speed the day 
when every teacher, true to his mission, shall be- 
come a class-leader, filled w T ith a burning desire to 
lead every unsaved pupil in his class to Christ, 
and every saved one to richer enjoyments of a 



42 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



Christian life. God help us, who minister from 
the pulpit, to so teach our teachers that they may 
become efficient fellow-helpers in the great work 
of saving souls. 



Building Up Souls in Christ. 43 



CHAPTER II. 
BUILDING UP SOULS IN CHEIST. 

The Foundation. — The work of the Sun- 
day-school is but fairly begun when scholars are 
converted and join the Church. All antecedent 
effort has been expended in securing a good foun- 
dation. Digging down through the rubbish of sin, 
removing prejudice, cutting away the pride of un- 
belief, ofttimes sitting wearily in the shadow of 
disappointments — perhaps sick at heart through 
hopes long deferred — then, taking counsel of the 
Great Architect, with renewed energy and wiser 
methods, following closely the ground-plan of god- 
liness, at last the sure foundation-stone — the rock 
of our salvation — is fully revealed. Its absolute 
necessity and its ample sufficiency are realized. 

The Superstructure. — Eesting upon this 
foundation, and rising through "the first principles 
of the doctrine of Christ," the spiritual edifice is to 
be elevated into a clearer light, and into an at- 
mosphere of love, where there is liberty of move- 
ment and a bright assurance of final success. Into 
this building, to strengthen and adorn it, are to 
be wrought gold, silver, and precious stones. By 
whom ? Preachers, only ? — the Bezaleels and Aho- 
liabs? Nay, verily. These be the master-work- 
men, indeed; but just as truly in the Sunday- 



44 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



school "every wise-hearted man, in whom the 
Lord has put wisdom and understanding to know 
how to work all manner of work for the service of 
the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord has 
commanded, . . . . . even every one whose 
heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do 
it," labors to perfect this holy temple " for a hab- 
itation of God through the Spirit." 

Changing the Figure. — What gracious op- 
portunities are here afforded ? Recovered from their 
wanderings, and " having tasted the good word of 
God and the powers of the world to come," the 
spiritual appetite of the lambs of the fold is 
whetted to keenest desire for things heavenly and 
divine. This " hungering and thirsting after right- 
eousness" is most conclusive evidence of new spir- 
itual life — a sure prophecy that growth will follow 
future nurture. 

Real conversion supplies the prime condition 
upon which successful instruction depends — name- 
ly, a fervent, truth-seeking spirit. The real Sun- 
day-school furnishes abundant facilities for im- 
parting precisely the kind of instruction most 
needed. The intimate, tender relation of teacher 
and pupil brings heart to heart in closest contact. 
Studying the temperament, knowing the every-day 
environment, and sharing the joys and sorrows 
of each scholar, the good teacher is enabled to 



Building Up Souls in Christ. 45 



" bring forth out of his treasury things new and 
old," exactly adapted to the wants of each. 

System Wanted. — Our academies and col- 
leges propose to develop mind in a systematic way. 
Religious education is too much hap-hazard. Our 
Saviour laid down the great comprehensive prin- 
ciples of religious life, and made them plain by 
living illustrations. One of his apostles, present- 
ing in detail the process of character-building, has 
given us a formula that should find practical ap- 
plication at the hands of the Sunday-school teach- 
er in the case of every converted scholar. " Giv- 
ing all diligence," he says, "add to your faith vir- 
tue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, 
temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to 
patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly 
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity." 
The business of the preacher and teacher, in such a 
case, lies not so much in exhorting the young con- 
vert to add these graces as in showing him how it 
is to be done. The " old-field school-master," who 
taught arithmetic by referring perplexed scholars 
to " the rule," and who incited them to diligence 
with a stout " hickory," made more dunces than 
mathematicians. Newly converted persons have 
need of something more than warnings against 
"going back," bare quotations of Scripture, or 
pious admonitions to read the good book. 



46 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



To illustrate: A man riding from Jerusalem 
to Gaza was reading the prophesies of Isaiah re- 
specting Jesus. In answer to the question, " Un- 
derstandest thou what thou readest?" he said in 
unfeigned surprise, " How can I, except some man 
should guide me?" Philip, commissioned by the 
Spirit for this special service, explained the script- 
ure. The gracious result is well known. What 
young disciples want is such interpretations and 
illustrations of the truth they so much desire to 
understand as will confirm them in the faith, and 
cause them likewise to " go on their way rejoicing." 

Beyond question, if our instructions were judi- 
ciously fashioned after the apostolic model given 
above, steadfast followers of Jesus would be greatly 
multiplied to verify this assertion with which the 
injunction is coupled : "If these things be in you, 
and abound, they make you that ye shall neither 
be barren (idle) nor unfruitful in the knowledge 
of our Lord Jesus Christ." And the Church 
would have fewer miserable backsliders to exem- 
plify, to her shame, this further statement : " But 
he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot 
see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged 
from his old sins." 

The benefits accruing to the young Christian 
through the agency of the Sunday-school, when 
it is properly employed, are simply incalculable. 



Building Up Souls in Christ. 47 



Here, upon a plane neither so high as to excite his 
fears nor so low as to disappoint his hopes, all his 
renewed powers, mental and moral, are brought 
into active and harmonious exercise. The easy 
yoke does not chafe, nor the light burden oppress, 
the eager spirit. Thus trained, the transition 
from one sphere of usefulness to the next higher 
is accomplished by imperceptible degrees. Un- 
conscious of the process, the babe in Christ grows 
unto the maturity and strength of spiritual man- 
hood. Let it never be forgotten that the purpose 
of the Sunday-school is "not only to bring the 
lambs into the fold, but also to keep them there/' 
by such wise ministrations to their wants as shall 
at once secure their steady growth in grace and in 
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Systematic soul-culture, embracing both 
conversion of heart and sanctification of life, is 
the fundamental purpose of this institution, which 
from first to last displays such a beautiful adapta- 
tion of means to end as challenges our sincerest 
admiration. Conversion comes by faith, "faith 
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
God." Jesus, praying for those who through faith 
were following him as disciples, said; "Sanctify 
them through thy truth ; thy word is truth.' 7 
Judged by the partial results which are visible, 
the Sunday-school excites our highest hopes of fut- 



48 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



lire possibilities, and calls forth expressions of 
devoutest gratitude to Him who is the author of 
its faith and the finisher of all its legitimate un- 
dertakings. Its text-book is the Bible; its ulti- 
mate object, the salvation of souls from sin. 



PART THIRD. 

The Home and the Sunday-school. 



CHAPTER I. 
THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAKTH-STONE. 

Home-life is, before any and all other agencies, 
combined in the formation of human character and 
in the determination of human conduct and des- 
tiny. 

In Point of Time. — First impressions of what 
one is, what he ought to be, what he ought to have, 
and what he ought to do, are not derived from the 
Sunday-school, from preaching, or from any other 
form of Church-service. They are made at home. 
If right, they are the most priceless legacy within 
the range of parental solicitude — a perpetual ben- 
ediction. If wrong, they are a heritage of evil, 
a fruitful source of disappointment and trouble — 
how often an unmitigated curse through life ! Mod- 
ified or superseded as they may be in after-years, 
such impressions are never forgotten. 

How soon does parental influence begin to tell 
upon the character of a child? With the first ca- 
resses? Earlier than that, perhaps. Study the 
lives of Samuel and Timothy ; trace them back to 
4 (49) 



50 The Home and the Sunday-school. 



their beginnings ; mark the faith of Hannah, Lois, 
and Eunice. 

"How soon shall I begin the education of my 
son?" inquired a mother. 

"What is his age?" 

" Four years." 

"Madam," said the gentleman addressed, "if 
you have not begun your child's education already, 
you have lost those four years." 

Does the statement seem extravagant? "Be- 
tween the ages of eighteen and thirty months a 
child learns more of the material world, of his own 
powers, of the nature of other bodies, and even his 
own mind and other minds, than he acquires in all 
the rest of his life." Who said that? No less a 
personage than Lord Brougham. 

Blessed is that child whose mother and father 
strive as cheerfully to give a truthful answer to its 
ten thousand questions as they do to furnish it with 
food and raiment. By as much as the immortal 
part is superior to the mortal ; by as much as the 
soul is closer akin to God than the body; by as 
much as eternity stretches beyond three-score years 
and ten — by so much are a child's endless inquiries 
after truth of more extensive significance than his 
clamors for physical nourishment. 

The home-circle is the first, best school, 
and home influences are what parents choose to 



The Kingdom of the Hearth-stone. 51 



make them — good or bad. It is so by an irrevo- 
cable decree of high Heaven. The responsibility 
of teaching children religious truth rests primarily 
upon those who are responsible for the being of 
those children ; and there it will forever remain. 
Equivocation is useless, evasion impossible. The 
excuses offered for negligence are sometimes plaus- 
ible, often ingenious, generally contemptible. The 
word of God> as the seed-corn of eternity, finds a 
most prolific soil in the parental heart. Neither 
the cares of this world, nor the deceitfulness of 
riches, nor aught else, may be allowed, without 
guilt, to overshadow it and render it unfruitful. 
To govern, teach, and train children for usefulness 
and happiness — present and eternal — is the family 
birthright. Esau sold out for a mess of pottage. 
Many parents, hoodwinked by the devil, sell out 
for less — for a mere sentiment, as Eli did. David's 
kingly grasp, strong enough elsewhere, was relaxed 
at home. Absalom stole the reins of government, 
and drove his father from the throne. 

"As arrow t s in the hand of a mighty man," so 
are children, says the psalmist. How pertinent 
the figure ! — " in the hand," inert, controllable ; then 
from the rebounding string, beyond recall, free, fly- 
ing — whither? As they were aimed. Straight to 
the bright mark of honor, happiness, heaven; or 
awry as they left the bow, wildly wounding foe 



52 The Home and the Sunday-school. 



and friend, falling short, dropping into eternity. 
A failure? Worse, perhaps, a thousand times. 
Who has not seen and felt the power of this home- 
impulse? Who may not, every day? 

"Wait until he is older," has sealed the 
doom of many. "A child spoiled in the nursery 
can seldom be remedied in the sanctuary." And 
who said that? The venerable Dr. Lovick Pierce, 
of Georgia, than whom, from wider or wiser ob- 
servation, few men may speak with better right. 
Parenthood implies kingship, priesthood, which ad- 
mits of no evasion or usurpation without treachery 
and guilt. 

But wliat has the Sunday-school to do 
with all this ? Just what is intended to be 
shown — absolutely nothing. As Dr. J. H. Vincent 
puts it : "For five years before the teacher, the super- 
intendent, the class, begins to affect the mind of the 
child, he is under powerful influence for good or 
evil in his own home. The four years of a college- 
course are scarcely more effective in the life of a 
man than the four years in the nursery, during 
which he begins to live; and all this before the 
Sunday-school reaches him." 

Thus defining the spheres of home and school, 
we shall more easily find the points of contact 
where they blend and harmonize. 

The Sunday-school is no substitute for 



The Kingdom of the Hearth-stone. 53 



Christian home-training. The rapid growth 
of Sunday-schools within a few years past, and the 
enterprise displayed by those conducting them, have 
been too much for the faith of some folks. They 
declare that " religious teaching is being neglected 
in many (professedly) Christian homes." That spec- 
ification is lamentably true. It hath, moreover, the 
merit of antiquity. The novelty is in the charge, 
to w T it, "And the Sunday-school is responsible for 
it." A strong case, lacking but one thing — the 
evidence. Verily this assault, weakening con- 
stantly, would be comical if one were not some- 
how reminded by it of JEsop's wolf, which, for want 
of better reason, would devour the lamb for mud- 
dying the stream where he was accustomed to 
drink. As a parallel case, how will this do? Do- 
mestic worship is neglected, family altars are aban- 
doned in many professedly Christian homes, and 
the regular weekly prayer -meeting held in the 
church is the cause of it ! 

Now, if parents are at fault — and they are — 
both reason and religion unite in saying, Let the 
Sunday-school alone, and let the work of reforma- 
tion begin at home. If a Sunday-school man, so 
called, is found so utterly bad as to exert the slight- 
est influence against home religion, put him out of 
the school instantly. But, in the name of common 
sense, what is to be done with Brother Beam-in- 



54 The Home and the Sunday-school. 



the-eye, who, suspecting a mote, tenders his profes- 
sional service with the merciful remark, "If Sun- 
day-school teaching is to take the place of home 
instruction, then I say, Down with the Sunday- 
school?" 

That many so-called Christian parents do rele- 
gate the religious instruction of their children to 
the Sunday-school, oftentimes to teachers of whose 
mental and moral qualifications they are in bliss- 
ful ignorance, is a shameful fact. But would they 
instruct them wisely and well in the absence of the 
school? Prove it who can. Is not their worse 
than heathenish indifference conclusive evidence 
that they would not, and with such a spirit could 
not, perform that service? 

A Plain Case. — Representative Sunday-school 
men have everywhere lifted up their voice as a 
trumpet against this iniquity ; and for the rest, are 
they not everywhere begging for more Bible-study 
in the homes? In all conscience they have diffi- 
culties enough in their ministry, without being ob- 
structed by outside idlers, among whom may be 
found, at rare intervals, a thoughtless preacher, or 
worse, one "soured." 

Here is a graphic sketch from the hand of that 
most devoted servant of the Church and friend of 
Sunday-schools, the late Dr. Thomas O. Summers: 
"Many seem to consider it a favor conferred 



The Kingdom of the Hearth-stone. 55 



upon the school if they patronize it by sending 
their children. They are not careful to assist them 
in acquiring the lessons, or to secure their regular 
and punctual attendance. They never dream of 
visiting the school, or of contributing to its support. 
The painstaking bestowed upon the children meets 
with no grateful recognition by the parents, and it 
is well if the course of the faithful teacher be not 
subjected to a censorious review. Such is the patron- 
age with which the school is frequently blessed." 

The following statement, by the Rev. James A. 
Worden, General Superintendent of Sunday-school 
work in the Presbyterian Church, covers the case. 
With the sentiment expressed, every Sunday-school 
worker worthy the name is in hearty agreement : 
"No institution — civil or religious, human or di- 
vine, educational or evangelistic — can take the 
place of the Christian home, or in the slightest de- 
gree relieve the parent of his responsibility." 

The Remedy. — Sunday-school workers see most 
clearly, as they also suffer most keenly, the direct 
consequences of the inexcusable negligence referred 
to. Let them, as in duty bound, put their pas- 
tors in possession of the facts; have the matter 
brought before the congregations in a candid, 
Christian way; and then unitedly, persistently, but 
tenderly, press it upon heart and conscience in the 
home-circle. Your faith will find firm footing 



56 The Home and the Sunday-school. 



there. Convince the parents that your only mo- 
tive is the good of their children, and you at once 
win their confidence and secure cooperation. Whis- 
perings and backbitings may wound, but cannot 
heal. 

Thus, by personal visitations in the homes of the 
pupils, and by earnest, oft-repeated invitations, get 
fathers and mothers to come and see what you are 
doing in the school-room. By public exercises, by 
private interviews, by any and all proper means, 
make them feel that you are deeply interested in 
your w T ork ; show them — do n't take it for granted 
that they know — show them what you want in the 
way of help ; talk to them as if you expected to 
receive it, and you will not appeal in vain. 



Alliance Between Home and School. 57 



CHAPTER II. 
ALLIANCE BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL. 

The Sunday-school is an ally which God 
has provided for carrying forward the work begun 
in Christian homes, and for inaugurating a work 
impossible in unchristian ones. 

A Mistake. — " If homes were what they should 
be," say some, " there would be no use for Sunday- 
schools." That looks plausible; but it isn't true 
— not a word of it. The instinct of the birds and 
beasts is wiser. " The eagle stirreth up her nest," 
says the sacred writer. What for? To make the 
young ones leave it. " Fluttereth over her young," 
to incite them to like effort ; " spreadeth abroad her 
wings," to teach them to fly ; " taketh them," goes 
with them, to inspire confidence and for defense ; 
" beareth them on her wings," in the presence of 
danger, and when weak and weary, to keep them 
from falling. 

Spoken with reference to God thrusting Israel 
out of Egypt, and his providential care of them 
afterward, can any thing more beautifully illus- 
trate the duty of the Church with reference to 
children? The eaglets must learn to take care of 
themselves. So must children. It is God's de- 
cree. The home-nest must be broken up. The in- 
mates thrust out must breast the storm of life or 



58 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



fly before it. As birds cleave — each one for itself 
— a pathway through the yielding air, and leave 
no trace behind, so in human life, each for himself 
must make a way, not find it. 

Home is the Preparatory School. — 
Measured by its opportunities, it is of prime impor- 
tance. But there comes a time when home ties must 
be severed and opportunities for home tuition fail — 
when home prerogatives begin to yield to the inex- 
orable demands of the great world outside ; a peril- 
ous transition period, which, constantly occurring in 
the history of home life, gives rise to great anxiety. 

A Turning Point. — Now consider the benef- 
icent influence of the Sunday-school at this critical 
juncture. It paves the way from the threshold 
of every Christian home to the gates of Zion. It 
throws open the doors of the sanctuary, and sends 
out messengers of grace to lead the little ones from 
the home-altar to the church-altar. It introduces 
them to the best society in its best aspect; and, as 
a breakwater, repels the treacherous tidal-wave of 
sinful pleasure. It trains their feet in the way 
to the house of God, and by agreeable associations 
makes the Sabbath a delight, the faithful minister 
a spiritual father, the church a home, the people 
of God a family. It transforms the study of the 
Word from an irksome task into a grateful enter- 
tainment. It wins the heart of childhood from 



Alliance Between Home and School. 59 



the ways of sin by preoccupying the mind with 
things that are pure ; and by personal affectionate 
ministrations, by living examples of redeeming love, 
religion and every thing connected with it become 
objects of desire, rather than a solemn menace. 
In short, every good thing taught at home, wheth- 
er of preceptor doctrine, the Sunday-school labors 
to strengthen and confirm. More than that — it 
does what no home can do : by public example, 
stimulating to public exercise, it educates thought 
and feeling, taste and habit, to the public worship 
and service of God. 

Religion, like charity, should begin at 
home. But it must not stay there. It cannot. It 
must get abroad or die. The Sunday-school gives it 
early opportunity. Anxious parents seeking the 
absent child Jesus, found him in the temple, sitting 
in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and 
asking them questions. " How is it that ye sought 
me?" said he, in answer to parental chidings; 
" wist ye not that I must be about my Father's 
business?" Blessed be God for opening the tem- 
ple-doors to the young people in these latter times ! 
and blessed be his holy name forevermore that 
millions of them are found therein, sitting in the 
midst of teachers, both hearing them and asking 
them questions! 

A Hopeful Sign.— One of the most significant 



60 Twofold Object of Sunday-school Work. 



facts of modern times is the children's love of the 
Sunday-school. They go willingly, gladly — often- 
times manifesting a devotedness that puts to the 
blush the superior pretensions of their elders. It 
was well enough perhaps that parents of the past 
generation " made their children go to Church." 
It is a more beautiful thing to see them, as we do, 
going there on their own motion. " The fear of 
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. " True 
enough, but it is only the beginning. Perfected 
wisdom comes of loving him, and loving comes of 
knowing. One voluntary Godward step has in it 
more of real progress than leagues accomplished 
by propulsion. It has the immense advantage of 
a corresponding movement, when the ever-watch- 
ful Father draws near to bless the effort. 

A Bugbear. — The very fact that the young 
people do love to go to Sunday-school is enough 
to excite a suspicion of unworthy motives in the 
minds of some whose religion is broad — as to their 
phylacteries ; whose ideas of enlargement pertain to 
the borders of their garments; whose love is for 
uppermost rooms at feasts, chief seats in the syn- 
agogues, greetings in the markets, and to be called 
rabbi, but who never enter a Sunday-school room 
with a view to saving souls. Lynx-eyed detectives 
they, who are happiest when an evil suspicion is 
confirmed; and meaner than they dream, when, 



Alliance Between Home and School. 61 



in sackcloth and ashes, they pronounce the ver- 
dict : " These youngsters are going to Sunday- 
school just to have a good time — nothing else." 

Quack Practice. — That sweeping assertion, 
like others of its class, is just equivocal enough to 
serve its double purpose — damaging the object as- 
sailed, and shielding the assailant under cover of 
religious solicitude. The quack doctor practices 
upon the credulity of his patients by the use of 
violent remedies. The quack practitioner in re- 
ligion often resorts to the same expedient. Ac- 
cording to his system, nothing is beneficial that 
is not painful and repulsive. The Sunday-school 
is pleasant and attractive; therefore, the Sunday- 
school is fearfully wrong ! The correct thing in 
this view is to strip it of its attractive features, 
until its aspect becomes so stern and forbidding 
that children will turn away from it in disgust, 
then force them to attend. 

A Plea for Attractive Schools. — That 
there are dangerous extremes of license in Sunday- 
school management, is true. That schemes utterly 
inconsistent with the serious interests involved are 
frequently introduced for no other purpose than 
to make a school popular, the writer well knows ; 
but having had quite a liberal share of experience 
in such schools as no live boy or girl would attend 
except under compulsion, he will not be hastily 



62 The Home and the Sunday-school. 



condemned for a somewhat earnest advocacy of 
the attractive element in Sunday-school life. The 
position assumed is fairly expressed by one of the 
oldest and most successful pastors of the last half- 
century, who says : " We minister in a most effect- 
ual manner for the future work of the Spirit, by 
clothing all the appointed instruments of that 
work with only pleasurable associations." 

Testimony. — Let those who assume to look 
disdainfully upon this auxiliary to domestic relig- 
ious instruction ponder the testimony of the writer 
just quoted — Dr. Tyng, of New York — as it is 
given in his admirable little book, " Forty Years' 
Experience in Sunday-schools : " "While memory 
blesses and consecrates those venerable and be- 
loved forms of parents long departed, who were 
serious, earnest, conscientious, prayerful, yet the 
remembrance of our Sabbaths, with nothing to call 
out youthful affection, or to awaken youthful ear- 
nestness, or to enlist youthful waywardness, or to 
turn our desires to pastors whom w-e never knew, 
or to worship which we could not understand, is, 
after all, far from a green spot in the recollections 
of youth." With this witness many agree. 

A Holy Union. — Viewed in the light of com- 
mon sense, it will be seen that the Christian home 
and the Sunday-school go hand in hand in the devel- 
opment of Christian character. In spheres divine- 



Alliance Between Home and School. 63 



ly appointed, diverse, and yet in aim identical, 
they blend and harmonize in forceful association 
for the salvation of precious souls. What God 
has thus joined together let not man put asunder. 
He is to be accounted an enemy to both who would 
impair the efficiency of either. The surest bond 
against moral bankruptcy is that which holds one 
to the worship and service of God. The Sunday- 
school proposes to assist parents in making it strong 
enough in childhood to resist any strain to which 
it may be subjected in after-life. 

The Sunday-school Must Substitute 
Unchristian Homes. — After all, we are con- 
fronted by this stubborn fact, that a large proportion 
of our scholars come from homes in which the relig- 
ion of Christ is neither taught nor practiced — many 
of them from haunts of vice and crime. These waifs 
of fortune thus, in the providence of God, become 
the wards of the Church. On the one hand, their 
home training is seriously defective ; on the other, 
it is positively bad. In both cases souls have been 
wronged. The principles of religion on which the 
Sunday-school is founded make its duty plain. 
It must in every instance supplement the home in 
religious education. In any case where such edu- 
cation has been neglected, it must, as far as it can, 
substitute the home. It must sometimes actually 
antagonize the home, by neutralizing, if possible, 



64 The Home and the Sunday-school. 



its corrupting influences, and supplanting them 
with sucn as are pure and healthful. It must al- 
ways seek to elevate, refine, and sanctify the irre- 
ligious home. 

A Joint Responsibility. — The duty thus 
devolved upon the school does not lessen in the slight- 
est degree the weight of parental obligation. As 
one author (Dr. Hart) very justly observes: "It is 
a case of double responsibility for the same object. 
That object — the salvation of the child — is so im- 
portant that God would put it under double guard. 
It is like taking two indorsers to a note : the fail- 
ure of one indorser does not exonerate the other. 
The holder has his remedy equally against both, 
and thus the fulfillment of the obligation is better 
secured." 



PART FOURTH. 

Church and School, 



CHAPTER L 

THE CHUKCH GENERAL AND THE SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL. 

Prelude. — The reader could hardly be blamed 
for skipping this chapter. Of all questions, " The 
relation of the Sunday-school to the Church " is 
the one which has received most undivided atten- 
tion, and suffered most iniquitous treatment. The 
press — secular and religious — has pried into it 
mightily, and convention-orators, from the self- 
confident "popinjay" of the neighborhood gath- 
ering to the cautious old D.D. of the Interna- 
tional, have dissected it, and left it for dead. But 
the suspicious glances, the gingerly remarks, and 
the general "offishness" of many good people, who 
ought to be laboring heart and soul in and for the 
Sunday-school, indicate that they are not clear in 
their minds as to that point. For the sake of such 
we must indulge the illusion. It is, therefore, a 
live question. 

The newspapers tell us that a Dutch vessel only 
a short while ago discovered a hitherto unknown 
5 (65) 



66 Church and School. 



island in the Pacific Ocean. The discovery of a 
new ground of argument in the case before us 
would be a more noteworthy event. The humbler 
task of surveying and defining more clearly the 
metes and boundaries of that which is already 
known will sufficiently tax our ingenuity, as it will 
also, if successful, satisfy the measure of our am- 
bition in this direction. 

The Church. — What is meant by "the 
Church?" Sometimes one thing, and sometimes 
another. And so, many other closely related things 
are, through an indiscriminate use of this term, 
enveloped in ecclesiastical fog — a variety almost as 
prolific of doubtful results as " the primordial, form- 
less fog" of the evolutionists. 

The School. — As seen through the capricious 
medium alluded to, and as faithfully reported by 
veracious chroniclers, the Sunday-school assumes a 
variety of fantastic attitudes positively astonishing. 
It is " a part of the Church/' and it is " apart 
from it;" it is "the nursery of the Church," and 
it is " the world's Christian university ; " it is "an 
auxiliary to the Church," and it is "the Church 
itself;" it is " an ancient institution," and it is "a 
modern innovation ; " it is positively good, and it 
is negatively bad; it is child's play, and it is the 
wonder of the world. The catalogue might be 
indefinitely extended. The examples given will 



The Church General and the Sunday-school. 67 



suffice to indicate the difficulties which lie along 
the pathway to settled convictions on this subject. 
Some amiable people seek to avoid trouble by an 
adroit flank-movement, after the manner of Polo- 
nius in a colloquy with Horatio: 

H. "Do you see yonder cloud, that's almost in 
shape of a camel ? " 

P. " By the mass, and 't is like a camel, indeed." 

H. "Methinks it is like a weasel." 

P. " It is backed like a weasel." 

H. "Or a whale?" 

P. "Very like a whale." 

And yet — as might be shown by familiar in- 
stances — the various and apparently conflicting 
definitions of the Sunday-school, given above, are 
not so wide of the mark as would seem at first 
sight. There is a degree of truth in every one of 
them ; but, when used without reference to some 
particular definition of "the Church," just true 
enough to mislead and bewilder. 

As before stated, an elaborate discussion of this 
vexed question of relations, being foreign to the 
purpose of this book, is left to other hands. If a 
key to its principal difficulties shall be found in 
the hints here presented, our design will be accom- 
plished. We notice, first, 

The Church universal, by which is here 
meant the people of God in all ages and under 



68 Church and School. 



diverse forms and dispensations. " The Church," 
says Dr. Arnold, "is a society for making men like 
Christ, earth like heaven, the kingdoms of the 
world the kingdom of Christ/' 

An Essential Element. — In this conception 
of it, the Sunday-school idea (as remarked else- 
where) has been a fundamental principle of the 
Church of God from the beginning. " For he estab- 
lished a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in 
Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they 
should make them known unto their children: 
that the generation to come might know them, 
even the children which should be born ; w T ho 
should arise and declare them to their children : 
that they might set their hope in God, and not 
forget the works of God, but keep his command- 
ments." 

Texts of similar import might be multiplied 
almost indefinitely. The scriptures bearing upon 
this subject are numerous and convincing. The 
duty enjoined is founded in the light of common 
reason. Nothing can be plainer. No one pretends 
to deny the obligation. The Sabbath-day, conse- 
crated to the worship and service of God, furnishes 
the opportunity; the Master himself furnishes the 
example. 

" Herein is a marvelous thing," said the 
blind man whose eyes Jesus had opened on the Sab- 



The Church General and the Sunday-school. 69 



bath, "a marvelous thing, that ye know not from 
whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes." 
Hundreds of thousands of Christian men and wom- 
en of the best type are every Sabbath engaged in 
teaching millions the w T ay of life. They teach 
without material fee or reward, besides paying 
handsomely for the privilege. God is glorified in 
the bringing of multitudes from darkness to light — 
not to mention innumerable other benefits — by this 
means conferred upon sinning, suffering, perishing 
humanity. Herein is a marvelous thing, that in 
the face of such credentials Christian people should 
allow themselves to think, speak, and act with ref- 
erence to the Sunday-school as if it were a purely 
human institution. That this idea is prevalent is 
a fact beyond dispute ; a fact which accounts for 
every difficulty in determining the relations of 
Church and school ; a fact, moreover, which could 
have had no existence but for infidelity on the part 
of teachers of religion who concerned themselves 
with "the traditions of the elders," the "tithing 
of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted 
the weightier matters of the law — judgment, mercy, 
and faith." The revival at Antioch was a new de- 
parture, an almost incredible thing, but the keen 
spiritual perception of Barnabas made quick work 
as to its character and relations. " When he had 
seen the grace of God he was glad, and exhorted 



70 Church and School. 



them all that with purpose of heart they would 
cleave unto the Lord." This explains it: "For 
he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost 
and of faith." 

The Main Fact. — The character of a sermon 
is not affected by the day of the week upon which 
it is delivered. That the school assembles and 
is taught on Sunday, is merely incidental. The 
main fact with which w T e are at present concerned, 
is this : The Sunday-school as an organization with 
the one avowed purpose of soul-saving Scripture 
study. It is maintained by labors purely volun- 
tary. Now, from whence is this conviction of ob- 
ligation ? By what inspiration have Sunday-school 
workers wrought the magnificent results that chal- 
lenge the admiration of Christendom? Who put 
the Bible into their hands, and said, "Go, teach?" 

Does Satan cast out Satan ? 



Preaching and Teaching. 71 



CHAPTER II. 
PREACHING AND TEACHING. 

In the olden time, as the story goes, two 
knights, meeting on opposite sides of a shield sus- 
pended by the road-side, fell into a dispute concern- 
ing the metal of which it was made. " It is silver," 
said one. " It is brass," said the other. Words 
waxed warm, and led to blows well laid on. A 
passer-by — less valiant, perhaps, but at any rate bet- 
ter informed — found these gallant knights lying 
sorely wounded and helpless in the dust. " Both 
gentlemen are right," said he, " and both wrong. 
One side of the shield is silver ; the other is brass." 
Not a whit less ridiculous have been many of the 
encounters between doughty champions of the 
Church and of the Sunday-school. "Preaching," 
says one. " Teaching," says the other. " Have at 
you ! " cry both. Result — dust and disorder. 

Common Ground. — However wide the mar- 
gin for differences of opinion as to the organization 
of the Church in some of its departments, there is 
none on the point that in the department of in- 
struction Jesus Christ has ordained that the gospel 
shall be taught as well as preached. To controvert 
this proposition, one must go outside of the Book. 

Of the two Methods, Worden gives us this 
analysis : " Preaching .... is the heralding, 



72 Church and School. 



the proclaiming of the word by the official em- 
bassador of Christ. Teaching is the impartation 
of knowledge. Preaching is of the nature of con- 
nected discourse — stating, proving, defending, and 
applying the great truths of the Holy Oracles to 
a silent audience. The preacher proclaims; the 
hearer listens, without interrupting or replying. 
But in teaching, the activity of the scholar is 
greater. The teacher endeavors to awaken reply, 
to evoke expression and answer from his pupil. 
He draws him out. He desires not continuity. 
The best method of teaching is of the nature of 
conversation, in which views are compared, and 
truth is supplemented by each, and passed from 
one to another. While an interruption of a 
preacher would be an intrusion, the teacher longs 
for free discussion, and even admits of disputation. 
While preaching is the lecture, teaching is the ex- 
amination upon the lecture. The sermon is the 
uninterrupted oration ; the lesson is the recitation 
of the scholar. Each has its advantages. Preach- 
ing excels in oratorical power, in producing an im- 
pression. Teaching excels in imparting clear ideas. 
Preaching excels in moving the feelings; teaching 
in instructing the mind. Preaching excels in de- 
ciding the will ; teaching in quickening and fur- 
nishing the whole inner man. No sane man would 
clash one against the other." 



Preaching and Teaching. 73 



Construe it as we may, this teaching service has 
been required of the Church in every period of its 
history, and is clearly established in the sacred 
record as a prime condition of its welfare and 
prosperity. 

The Great Commission. — Belief of the 
gospel saves the soul, but without a knowledge of 
that gospel, belief is impossible. Even after it is 
known, it may be rejected. By what means, then, 
may these most desirable ends — knowledge and 
acceptance of the gospel — be best secured? Jesus, 
who sealed with his own blood the new covenant 
guaranteeing to all mankind the fullest possible 
spiritual liberty, knew perfectly the constitution 
of the human mind, and was intimately acquaint- 
ed with every avenue to the soul. He was "a 
teacher come from God." He used no vain repe- 
tition, and made no mistake when he said unto his 
disciples, " Go ye into all the world and preach 
the gospel to every creature;" "Go ye, therefore, 
and teach all nations." To meet an ever-present 
and constantly growing necessity, the Church was 
to exercise diligently both of these functions — 
preaching and teaching. The command to teach 
was as plain and positive as the command to 
preach, and the apostles so understood it. The 
early Christians so understood it. The Church 
afterward lost sight of it. The Sunday-school of 



74 Church and School. 



to-day is a return to apostolic usage: — a fuller re- 
alization of the divine process in religious educa- 
tion than the Church has ever known before. 
"Unto the end of the world" preaching and teach- 
ing, joined in indissoluble wedlock, must go hand 
in hand. Both are necessary to the complete ful- 
fillment of God's purpose, as prophesied in the 
Church. Not necessary simply because command- 
ed, but rather commanded because necessary. 

To preach the gospel is literally "to tell good 
tidings." But telling a thing is not teaching it. 
To teach under this commission of our Lord is 
" to make disciples " — or learners — of all who are 
willing to be instructed. The scope of instruction 
is specifically designated: "Teaching" — instruct- 
ing — "them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you/' In short, men are to be 
Christianized not by a mere proclamation of the 
gospel so much as by such instruction as will se- 
cure the observance of Christ's commandments. 
" Ye are my friends if you do whatever I have 
commanded you." Our labor finds assurance of 
success in the promise, "Lo, I am with you." 

Preaching awakens hope and chal- 
lenges faith; teaching confirms both. 
The mere proclamation of the "glad tidings" is an 
easy and delightful task. The trouble is to get men 
to submit to the terms of the gospel, and to do what 



Preaching and Teaching. 75 



it requires, as voiced by the Holy Spirit in the 
heart of every man who acknowledges its demands. 
Hence, teaching religion is hard work. It is a strait 
gate, a narrow way to duty; and many there be 
who do not, for this reason, go in thereat. To tell 
men that Jesus is the Christ ; to repeat in a per- 
functory way what he says men must do, and then 
with much complacency to "leave the result with 
God," is a wide gate and a broad way, and many 
there be who walk therein. And some who go 
through that kind of performance ought to be 
heartily ashamed of themselves. It may be gos- 
pel preaching in their estimation, but it is not 
gospel teaching; and they assume the exercise of 
both functions — preaching and teaching. A man 
who does not know enough to detect the fatal omis- 
sion has no just claim to recognition as a teacher 
of religion. The specific terms of the great com- 
mission are a legal bar to any such claimant. 

It is one thing to give a command; it is 
quite another to enforce it. A soldier must 
not only recognize the word of command, he must 
also know its import; for "a command is something 
to be done as well as known." It is the officer's 
duty to give the word of command ; it is equally 
his duty to see that the command is properly exe- 
cuted. What is the duty of a teacher of religion? 
Let the Captain of our salvation answer. " Teach- 



76 Church and School. 



ing them to observe" — to keep and perform — "all 
things whatsoever I have commanded you." So 
the religion of Jesus is something to be done as 
well as known, or believed. Now, how is the ob- 
servance of Christ's commands to be secured? 

More than Preaching Needed.— If not, 
then would the four Gospels have been little else 
than a volume of sermons. According to the in- 
spired biographers, Jesus preached sometimes, but 
more frequently he taught. The world's estimate 
of his public ministry is expressed in the signifi- 
cant title, " The Great Teacher." If nothing more 
were needed, then would the great commission 
read, " Go, preach ; " and there would be an end 
of the matter. If sermons from the pulpit would 
have sufficed the Saviour's beneficent purpose, and 
the world's imperative need, then would the Sun- 
day-school never have had existence. The En- 
glish clergy of 1780 discoursed beautifully of a 
gospel for every creature ; but the command, " Go 
tell every creature," they had quite forgotten. So 
far from "teaching all nations," they rarely vent- 
ured beyond the narrow limits of their genteel 
congregations. The consequences in morals and 
religion w r ere disastrous. Let those who doubt 
read the history of that day — of which the Town- 
ley Letter, in a previous chapter, furnishes a hint. 
Let those who look with distrust upon Sunday- 



Preaching and Teaching. 77 



school effort learn that sermons from the pulpit 
can no more substitute personal study and discus- 
sion of the word than the Sunday lesson can sub- 
stitute the sermon. 

Knowledge acquired by absorption is 
notoriously unreliable. It is obtained without ef- 
fort ; it is of doubtful utility to its possessor ; it is 
easily lost — it is, in a w T ord, a " come easy, go easy " 
sort of information that is of precious little benefit 
to any one. And the religious knowledge of the 
average church-goer is, unfortunately, of this very 
kind. It is so extremely volatile that, although 
ready enough on other subjects, his lips are rever- 
ently sealed on this — to prevent evaporation by 
exposure. To know him well, you must see him 
in the Sunday-school room. You can find him in 
most schools. In some he is "numerously pres- 
ent." Look for him about ten minutes after the 
recitation begins. You will easily recognize him 
by his exhausted condition. The lesson finishes 
him with the last printed question. During the 
preaching service, he deceives the unwary minister 
by his saintly attention. Not a word escapes him 
— nearly every thing else does. Do you doubt it? 
Catechise him next day on the points of the ser- 
mon, if he is willing, and you are able. Then, to 
make sure of the matter, serve a like process upon 
that other man, who sat in the next pew. Com- 



78 Church and School. 



pare the reports, and see how delightfully they re- 
fuse to harmonize. 

Sunday-school teaching is sharply 
criticised as superficial, and the best friends 
of the institution are least displeased. They are 
neither blind to its defects nor disposed to conceal 
them. On the contrary, none more active in point- 
ing them out, and certainly none so prompt in seek- 
ing a remedy. But — just between us, you know, and 
to go no farther — is n't it possible, just barely possi- 
ble, that pulpit teaching, tried by the same methods, 
would be found somewhat wanting in those elements 
that go to constitute a perfect educational agency? 
Is " the great congregation" taught as it should be? 
Ah ! congregations are not open to examination as 
are the Sunday-schools. But if they were? If 
quarterly reviews were instituted, what astonish- 
ing revelations might be made! What "quarter- 
ly-meetings" we should have — "what carefulness 
would be wrought in the worshipers; yea, what 
clearing of themselves ; yea, what indignation ; 
yea, what fear ; yea, what vehement desire ; yea, 
what zeal; yea, what revenge!" — yea, what an 
array of empty benches on "review Sunday! " 

Brother preacher, who among us would be will- 
ing to test his congregation thus side by side with 
his Sunday-school? In all seriousness, why not? 
Jesus publicly catechised the wisest and the best 



Preaching and Teaching. 79 



as well as the weakest and the worst. The fact 
is — 

Listening is as different from learning 
as telling is from teaching. And people list- 
en to a sermon much the same as they would look 
at a picture. There is a certain indolent enjoy- 
ment of it. It costs no mental effort. They even 
fall asleep on occasion. The preacher does the 
thinking for them. What would a Sunday-school 
teacher's reputation be worth in the presence of a 
class half asleep? But good preaching provokes 
thought. True enough. Alas! how much so- 
called preaching — -judged by the same standard so 
freely applied to Sunday-school teaching — is not 
really good. x\nd, as still as it is kept, that 
provokes thought, too. Hence these "faithful 
wounds." 

The mind cannot acquire precise 
knowledge of the facts and principles 
of Christianity by the mere telling of 
them any more than of the facts and principles of 
natural science. In order to a clear understanding, 
it is as necessary in the one case as in the other 
that the hearer be stirred to mental activity, and 
be required to reproduce the ideas conveyed. In 
short, he must not only be told — he must be 
taught. 



80 Church and School. 



CHAPTER III. 
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 

Viewed in the light of the gospel of the Son of 
God, what is the world's most imperative need to- 
day? By all the tokens, human and divine, it 
most needs teachers of that gospel. In its homes, 
in its highways and by-ways, in its school-houses 
and churches — everywhere, it needs to be taught. 
If it is ever brought to a knowledge of the truth 
as it is in Jesus, it must be by teaching, drill, dis- 
cipline; by schooling, by education at the hands 
of those who, through the Spirit's help, have 
learned by personal obedience both the letter and 
the spirit of the word — who know what to teach, 
and how to teach it. Jesus schooled his disciples 
for three years and a-half, and sent them forth en- 
dued with "power from on high," to preach and to 
teach. 

The living teacher is of God's own or- 
dination. As Dr. Hart very justly observes : " It 
is for Christians to Christianize the world, . . . 
and education is the main agency to be used in 
the work of Christianization. Children believe 
what they are taught to believe. They are what 
they are trained to be. After all necessary de- 
ductions and abatements for individual cases, this 
is the great fact in human history. As the twig is 



The School System. 81 



bent, the tree is inclined. Teaching and training 
make the man ; teaching and training make the na- 
tion. There are no means more used and blessed 
by the Holy Spirit in the work of turning men 
to Christ, and of establishing his kingdom in the 
world, than this of education. The Church itself 
is only the school of Christ in which all are al- 
ternately scholars and teachers, ever learning and 
teaching the truths which Christ has promulgated 
for the salvation of the world." 

The obligation resting upon the 
Church to teach the truths of religion 
implies the ability of the world to learn 
them ; and the world's apprehension of them is in 
exact proportion to the Church's fidelity in the man- 
ner as well as the matter of its teaching. Christ's 
example, his precepts, the monitions of the Holy 
Spirit, and the dictates of common reason, all con- 
spire in demanding that this work be done in the 
most thorough and systematic way; that its modes 
shall be as nearly perfect as may be in their ad- 
justment to the complex conditions of the world's 
ignorance, and unbelief, and sin, by which the 
truth is opposed. 

The world must learn God's will 

through God's word. And God's Church 

must teach that word — no question about that. By 

the terms of its commission, both the subject-matter 

6 



82 Church and School. 



and the objects of its teaching are clearly defined. 
The world is its school-room, lost mankind its 
pupils, and the Word of Life its text-book. On 
these points all are agreed. Only one question 
remains: How is the Church to teach? What 
methods may it employ ? At this point there is a 
divergence of opinion that has seriously impaired 
the teaching function of the Church. That ques- 
tion can never be settled by an appeal to ecclesi- 
astical statute-books. As well go to the Babel- 
builders for authority on teaching the English 
language. The code of Christianity is Christ. 
He who with one decisive stroke severed the Gor- 
dian knot that held the Church in bondage unto 
"the law of commandments contained in ordi- 
nances" "is the end of the law" in every thing that 
relates to the evangelization of the world. In the 
manner as well as the matter of religious teaching, 
his example is supreme authority. What he taught 
that the Church is to teach; as he taught so the 
Church is to teach, 

Till the sun is old 

And the stars are cold, 

And the leaves of the judgment-book unfold. 

The methods he employed in imparting 
instruction are models sufficient for the Church's 
need in all the ages. They are the perfection of 
wisdom in adaptation to both the teacher and the 



The School System. 83 



taught in every possible diversity of person and 
of place, of time and circumstance. In them is 
fully exemplified every phase of the educational 
process. Of them there is nothing superfluous — 
nothing the Church can afford to ignore. If it 
would win the world to the truth as it is in Jesus 
Christ, it must follow his example in the commu- 
nication of that truth. God hasten the clay when 
every method he employed shall be as faithfully 
exercised as the ordinary form of public discourse. 
The Secular School System.— Go where 
we may, school-houses, academies, and colleges 
appear on every hand. " There are too many of 
them/' say some. And in the face of that asser- 
tion, they multiply with unparalleled rapidity. 
Not as the result of accident or of a blind perver- 
sity, but in obedience to the law of demand and 
supply. The people want their children educated. 
So, they build the houses, employ the teachers, and 
send the children to be instructed. Who doubts 
the wisdom of this procedure? Who dare assert 
that this work of education ought to be confined 
to the home and the university? Who does not 
see the absolute necessity of intermediate agen- 
cies? Never before has the value of scholastic 
training been so fully recognized; never before 
has the adaptation of means to end in matters 
of secular instruction been so nearly perfect. 



84 Church and School. 



With such facilities as are now afforded, the edu- 
cation of "the masses" is only a question of time. 
The people are learning. The world moves; it 
is for the Church to give it proper direction. 

The Church School. — The beginning of 
the modern Sunday-school movement marks an 
epoch in the history of the Church. True, it did 
not originate in ecclesiastical enactment; but for 
all that, its legitimacy is no more a matter of 
doubt than the world-wide splendor of its achieve- 
ments. "Two or three were gathered together" in 
Christ's name, to save souls from spiritual degra- 
dation, ignorance, and sin. He, according to his 
promise, ratified their action with his presence, 
and laid the corner-stone of success. The Sunday- 
school, therefore, by the grace of God, is of the 
Church thus constituted by the presence and ben- 
ediction of his Son. What is true of the Sunday- 
school movement is true of the greatest Christian 
enterprises. They have in almost every instance 
originated in private and individual efforts, as ex- 
periments in Christian duty. In 1788 William 
Gary, the apostle of foreign missions, in confer- 
ence with brother ministers, proposed as a topic 
for discussion, "The duty of the Church to attempt 
the spread of the gospel among the heathen." Old 
Dr. Eyland, foremost in learning and influence, 
sprang to his feet, exclaiming : " Young man, sit 



The School System. 85 



down ! when it pleases God to convert the heathen 
he will do it without your help or mine." But for 
all that, Cary saw the desire of his heart, and 
found a grave in India. In adopting the school 
system, the Church is not only following "the nat- 
ure of things and the trend of God's providence 
in human affairs/' but is also developing, as it 
could not otherwise, methods that are vitally con- 
nected with the salvation of the race. 

Its Rapid Development.— The progress 
of the Sunday-school movement is without a par- 
allel in history. A little seed was planted at 
Gloucester a hundred years ago, in an abandoned 
field — pronounced by some of the wisest to be 
hopelessly sterile — but from it has sprung a vast 
and powerful system ; a mighty tree, whose prolific 
branches, interlacing with the contemporaneous 
growth of foreign missions, have extended to every 
nation under heaven. In our own land these Bi- 
ble-schools are found everywhere, side by side with 
those purely secular. In the words of an eminent 
divine before the General Presbyterian Council at 
Philadelphia : " They are the pride of our strongest 
metropolitan churches ; and in the log-cabins of 
the far-off frontier, they gather about themselves 
the hope and affection of tens of thousands of 
hardy settlers. They have certainly affected our 
national character and the current of our national 



86 Church and School. 



history; and it is equally certain that the future 
of this nation and the future of this immense and 
rapidly growing system of Sunday-schools are 
largely bound up together." This is not the wild 
utterance of an enthusiast; nor is it merely one 
man's opinion. In this judgment all thoughtful 
observers of this movement concur. The man who 
speaks of it in the light in which it was viewed 
even one short generation ago advertises his own 
stupidity. To be indifferent to its influence is to 
be criminally reckless of the welfare of both 
Church and State. As Dr. Haygood says, in that 
suggestive book, "Our Children :" "If several 
hundred thousand grown people and several mill- 
ions of children met together once a week without 
speaking a word — if they only looked at each oth- 
er in utter silence — we would have a subject of in- 
terest and importance." But further : " What tre- 
mendous powers are here at work ! These 753,060 
teachers teaching God's word and will to 5,790,- 
683 children. [That was in 1875. The figures 
are now 932,283 teachers, and 6,820,835 scholars.] 
And the songs, prayers, lessons, exhortations, these 
children never will, never can forget. They will 
be, of necessity they must be, largely influenced 
by these agencies. These children are forming 
opinions upon the most important subjects that 
can invite their attention — their duty to God and 



The School System. 87 



their fellow-men. Who can measure the height 
and depth and length and breadth of these influ- 
ences? No man can overstate or exaggerate their 
magnitude, their power. And they are every- 
where Whether we like it or not, the 

Sunday-school is a fact — a very great fact among 
us. No doubt there is now and then an outbreak 
of fanaticism. So full a river will sometimes 
break out of its banks ; but fertility follows its 
very inundations. Some songs are sung that nei- 
ther poetry nor piety will approve. Some things 
are taught that are not true. There is much su- 
perficial work. There are many things about the 
Sunday-school that are not altogether satisfac- 
tory,* but it is the most notable — perhaps also the 
most hopeful — fact of our times. It will have, 
perhaps, more to do in making the future of our 
civilization than any thing else." 

A Necessity. — The rapidity with which the 
Sunday-school system has developed is largely ac- 
counted for on the ground that "it met a great 
and waiting necessity." " There were in the midst 
of Christendom millions of utterly neglected chil- 
dren. A frightful mass of ignorance and heathen- 
ism existed in the heart of the Christian world. 
It was imperative that some way of instructing and 

*A11 of which is equally applicable to other depart- 
ments of Church- work. 



88 Church and School. 



saving these children should be found." The Chris- 
tian ingenuity of Robert Raikes suggested the plan, 
and the hearts of God's true people leaped for 
joy. Said Adam Smith, the astute political econ- 
omist: "No plan has promised to effect a change 
of manners with equal ease and simplicity since 
the days of the apostles." John Wesley — from 
whose keen spiritual insight nothing that promised 
good to men seemed to escape — said, as early as 
1784: "I find these schools springing up wher- 
ever I go. Perhaps God may have a deeper end 
herein than men are aware of. Who knows but 
some of these schools may become nurseries for 
Christians?" With all their faith in this enter- 
prise, its most sanguine advocates never dreamed 
that in those four Gloucester schools were hid the 
germs of a system that should erelong engage 
many millions of all ranks and ages in the social 
study of the Bible. Like the founder of Method- 
ism, and many another whom God has employed 
as agents in the accomplishment of his beneficent 
designs, Mr. Raikes "builded better than he knew." 
The Priesthood of the People.— The 
real significance of the Sunday-school system ap- 
pears when we reflect upon the aggressive element 
which it evoked from the hitherto passive ranks of 
the Christian laity, and threw into the field as an 
evangelizing agency. It is not too much to say 



The School System. 89 



that from the times of Luther down to this pres- 
ent the most notable day in the struggle of evan- 
gelical Christianity against priestcraft and its 
accompanying abominations was when regenerate 
men and women, without formal ecclesiastic ordi- 
nation, volunteered and were accepted and ac- 
knowledged as public teachers and defenders of 
the religion of Jesus Christ, as held and practiced 
among Protestants. " The idea that the work of 
teaching the millions of any population the sav- 
ing knowledge of the Scriptures must be required 
at the hands of the clergy alone was left behind 
forever."* The protest of Luther and his coadju- 
tors, and their declaration of independence, has 
been followed by a revolution which has never 
shown one sign of going backward. Passing in 
review the countless multitudes who have wrought 
well and entered into rest, we come upon a vast 
army now in the field — a million and a-half of 
volunteers from the ranks of the laity — who have, 
by this movement, been added to the evangelizing 
forces of the Church as stated teachers of Chris- 
tian truth. And it is estimated that there are in 
America alone not less than seven hundred thou- 
sand of the most intelligent and godly women of 
the Church thus employed. When it is asserted 
— after making every just abatement for their 

*Dr. Mitchell. 



90 Church and School. 



shortcomings — that "there is among these Sun- 
day-school workers more faith, love, zeal, and ag- 
gressive power than can be found among twice 
their number outside of the Sunday-school move- 
ment,^ many will shake their heads in doubt — 
some will actually feel aggrieved. The writer 
made a similar assertion once, while superintend- 
ent of a school. He has occasion to remember 
the flutter it created, as well as the relief experi- 
enced soon afterward in finding the statement reit- 
erated by the editor of the Sunday School Maga- 
zine, and reenforced by these remarks : " We pre- 
fer to understate rather than to overstate these 
things ; but we are safe in saying the real aggress- 
ive power of the Church is found among these 
teachers and officers. Take them as a body, we 
venture to say they are the best people in the 
Church. And they are the most intelligent. 
They read more, study more — particularly in the 
Bible. And most of them are in earnest. The 
most zealous men and women of the Church are 
engaged in the Sunday-school work." We would 
not claim for this agency one iota more than is 
fully warranted by facts. It is demonstrably true 
that a larger per cent, of the energy of the laity of 
the Church is expended through channels opened 
up by the Sunday-school than through any and all 
others combined. 



A Summary of Benefits. 91 



CHAPTER IV. 

A SUMMARY OF BENEFITS. 

What advantages and opportunities does the 
Sunday-school bring to the Church? That ques- 
tion can never be answered in time ; it may be in 
the revelations of eternity. The views of the sub- 
ject here presented are mere sketches in outline, 
such as one might make of certain prominent 
headlands from the deck of a swift-sailing ship. 
Behind them lies a mighty continent of truth, 
whose coast-line stretches away on either hand 
and drops below the horizon of finite intelligence. 

1. The Sunday-school attracts and brings under 
Christian influence multitudes from unchristian 
homes who could not be reached by any other in- 
strumentality known to the Church. While thus 
substituting unfaithful parents and unfavorable 
surroundings, it supplements faithful home-work 
by reaffirming the truth there taught, and at the 
same time emphasizes that which is delivered from 
the pulpit. 

2. It cultivates an attachment among young 
people for the Church and its services, by special 
adaptations of Bible-readings, study, songs, and 
prayers — thus preparing the soil for the reception 
of seed sown by the preacher. 

3. It secures for the lambs of the flock, through 



92 Church and School. 



teachers, special pastoral care; supplies a vital 
connection between the home and the Church; 
opens up a living way for the pastor to the hearts 
of the young people, and brings them into closest 
personal contact with the truth as expressed in the 
lives of Christian teachers — Christ's human repre- 
sentatives. 

4. It offers every inducement to the study of 
the Scriptures, by providing for both old and 
young the best possible lesson-helps and requisites 
to the thorough understanding of the truth. As 
a consequence, " expository sermons are everywhere 
on the increase, and all preaching is assuming a 
more biblical form" — for which the Church has 
reason to be devoutly thankful. 

5. It furnishes our homes with a vast amount of 
pure and wholesome literature, both books and pe- 
riodicals, for leisure reading. 

6. It affords the amplest opportunities for train- 
ing the young in the principles of temperance and 
practical benevolence, chief among which is the 
work of missions. 

7. It makes a constantly increasing demand upon 
the Church for teachers who are being "quickened 
and trained in the art of teaching, made apt to 
teach, and wise in winning souls." Under a sense 
of official responsibility a new anxiety for souls is 
excited ; " new inquiries, new prayers, new spirit- 



A Summary of Benefits. 93 



ual longings and spiritual tact and skill, are being 
evoked." It is a training-school for the higher 
offices and work of the Church at home and 
abroad. 

8. It deals chiefly with the living and essential 
elements of Christian faith and practice, in which 
all denominations are in agreement. In seeking 
the application of these truths to the heart of 
childhood, sectarian jealousy has been rebuked, 
and Christian unity has been promoted to a re- 
markable degree — in testimony of which we have 
county, state, and international conventions, with 
the international series of lessons as a crowning 
result. 

9. Finally: the Sunday-school enlightens, re- 
fines, civilizes, and Christianizes. It is the open 
and avowed friend of all that is good, the uncom- 
promising foe of all that is bad. Born of faith 
and love, its nature is to bless and to sanctify — its 
mission is to save. 

Conclusion. — The word of God and the logic 
of events coincide in demonstrating the Sunday- 
school service to be of divine institution, as truly 
so as any other form of Church-service. It is, 
therefore, auxiliary to the pulpit and every other 
divinely appointed means of grace. To speak of 
it as auxiliary to the Church, or in any wise antag- 
onistic to it, is quite as absurd as to say that chil- 



94 Church and School. 



dreu are auxiliary to the family, or infantry antag- 
onistic to the army of which it is a part. From 
the above stand-point, "the Sunday-school is that 
department of the Church of Christ in which the 
children, youth, and adults of the Church and 
community are thoroughly trained in Christian 
knowledge, Christian experience, and Christian 
work." Viewed in a slightly different light, it is 
a mode of operation by which the Church, in ful- 
fillment of its commission, expresses itself to the 
world ; an exponent of its faith in the Father, its 
hope in Christ, and its love in the Holy Ghost. In 
short, it is the Church at work in the exercise of 
one of its most important functions — being assem- 
bled to teach and to learn more perfectly the way 
of life and salvation as set forth by inspiration in 
the Holy Scriptures. 



Church Denominational and Sunday-school. 95 



CHAPTER V. 

THE CHURCH DENOMINATIONAL AND THE 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

Our investigation up to this point has been 
principally directed to the Sunday-school as an 
institution of the Church at large. We are now to 
speak of it in a more restricted sense — as an agency 
subject to ecclesiastical direction and control. 

By the Church denominational is meant 
" a body of Christian believers observing the same 
rites and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical 
authority" — as the Roman Catholic Church, the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, etc. 

A Bit of History. — As we have seen, Mr. 
Wesley was among the first to discover the im- 
portance of Sunday-schools. He began at once to 
establish them in his societies. " It seems," says 
he, "these will be one great means of reviving re- 
ligion throughout the nation. I wonder Satan has 
not yet sent out some able champion against them." 
And again, speaking to preachers: "This is one 
of the best institutions which has been seen in Eu- 
rope for some centuries, and will do more good, 
provided the teachers and inspectors will do their 
duty. Nothing can prevent the success of this 
blessed work but the neglect of the instruments. 
Therefore, be sure to watch them with all care, 



96 Church and School. 



that they may not grow weary in well-doing." As 
Dr. Summers remarks, in "The Sunday-school 
Teacher:" "He considered Sunday-schools a val- 
uable adjunct to the pastoral office, and accord- 
ingly wrote and preached in their behalf, and 
made it obligatory upon his assistants to do all in 
their power to make them subservient to the inter- 
ests of the Church, by a thorough indoctrination 
and early conversion — the latter point being con- 
sidered of special moment." * He gave to Meth- 
odism a lasting impulse in this direction, the re- 
sults of which are everywhere apparent. 

Church Action. — "So early as February, 
1790, the Methodist Episcopal Church held a 
Conference at Charleston, S. C, in which they 
took strong and high ground for Sunday-schools. 

* One of the most enthusiastic passages to be found in 
Mr. Wesley's Journal relates to impressions received at 
Bolton : "And this I must avow, there is not such a set of 
singers in any one of the Methodist congregations in the 
three Kingdoms. There cannot be, for we have near a 
hundred such trebles, boys and girls, selected out of our 
Sunday-schools, and accurately taught, as are not found 
together in any chapel, cathedral, or music-room within 

the four seas I defy any to exceed it, except 

the singing of angels in our Father's house. On Sunday, 
. . . . about three, I met between nine hundred and a 
thousand of the children belonging to our Sunday-schools. 
I never saw such a sight before." 



Church Denominational and Sunday-school. 97 



Bishop Francis Asbury, who, it will be remembered, 
w T as as enthusiastic a friend of Sunday-schools as 
Mr. Wesley, presided, over the Conference. The 
Conference passed a resolution embodying, in the 
main, a most apostolic plan; but, strange to say, 
the plan was not at once executed. Religious bod- 
ies then, perhaps, as they are now, were addicted to 
passing and forgetting a great many good resolu- 
tions. The action of the Conference was the first 
general Church action in reference to Sunday- 
schools, and was as follows: "Let us labor as the 
heart and soul of one man to establish Sunday- 
schools in or near the place of public w r orship. 
Let persons be appointed by bishops, elders, dea- 
cons, or preachers, to teach gratis all that will at- 
tend and have a capacity to learn, from six o'clock 
in the morning till ten, and from two o'clock in the 
afternoon till six, where it does not interfere with 
public worship. The council shall compile a 
proper school-book to teach them learning and 
piety."'* 

In 1802, the Wesleyans organized a committee 
"for the purpose of correspondence and other 
efforts to promote the organization and improve- 
ment of the Sunday-schools in the Wesleyan Socie- 
ties of Great Britain." f Similar enterprises were 
set on foot by other denominations shortly after- 

* Candler: " History of Sunday-schools." flbid. 

7 



98 Church and School. 



ward, and more or less activity has been subse- 
quently manifested in the councils of all the vari- 
ous religious bodies to secure the organization and 
maintenance of schools in Churches under their 
jurisdiction. 

Ecclesiastical Recognition. — It must be 
admitted that the Churches have been slow to rec- 
ognize and adopt the Sunday-school as a divinely 
authorized agency in the spread of the gospel. It 
was for a long while regarded as a philanthropic 
institution, for the exclusive use and benefit of the 
illiterate poor. The action of the Methodist Con- 
ference given above was in answer to the question, 
"What can be done in- order to instruct poor chil- 
dren, w T hite and black, to read?" This was the 
first appearance of the word "Sunday-schools" on 
the minutes of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
In an address of the Bishops, 1796, the people were 
urged " to establish Sunday-schools wherever prac- 
ticable for the benefit of the poor." From that date 
down to 1824, a period of twenty-eight years, there 
is no record of any further official action on the 
subject. In 1827 the "Sunday-school Union of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church" was organized. 
In 1833 it was merged into the "Bible Sunday- 
school and Tract Society," which was dissolved in 
1836. Four years later, 1840, the "Sunday-school 
Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church" was 



Church Denominational and Sunday-school. 99 



reorganized; but it was not formally recognized 
by the General Conference of that Church until 
1852. From that time on its power and efficiency 
have steadily increased.* In 1872 its relation was 
readjusted, its board of managers being appointed 
by the General Conference. Since 1846, at which 
time the collection of statistics was begun, it has 
received reports of over one million conversions 
among Sunday-school members. The superior ac- 
tivity of this Church in this department is w T ell 
known. From the facts here presented, the status 
of other bodies may be inferred. 

To the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, be- 
longs the honor of having taken the initiative in 
electing superintendents for its Sunday-schools. 
This is done by the Quarterly Conference of each 
station or circuit, in conformity to an action of the 
General Conference of 1874, which at the same 
time constituted a Quarterly Conference " a board 
of managers, having supervision of all the Sun- 
day-schools and Sunday-school societies within its 
limits. " The superintendent thus elected, if a 

* In forty years nearly 40,000 schools have been helped 
at an expense of about §450,000. The Union began its 
foreign work in 1847. Since that time it has aided in 
Sunday-school work, in connection with foreign missions, 
in the following countries: China, South America, Libe- 
ria, Germany, Bulgaria, India, Denmark, Sweden, and 
Mexico — appropriating about §28,000 to these fields. 



100 Church and School. 



member of the Church, is a member of that Con- 
ference.* 

An Obligation. — It is clearly the duty of ev- 
ery denomination to make the amplest provision 
for the organization, maintenance, and spiritual ef- 
ficiency of Sunday-schools. That most, if not all 
of them, have fallen far short of doing what they 
ought and might have done in this direction is 
painfully apparent. Much of the meager legisla- 
tion on the subject has been merely tentative, hor- 
tatory rather than mandatory — "good resolutions," 
by-laws without a constitution, hardly w 7 orth the 
paper on which they were written. Although left 
almost entirely to the option of local churches and 
dependent upon local enterprise, the Sunday-school 
system rapidly developed adaptations to other no- 
ble ends as well as ministrations to the poor. It 
came to be looked upon with great respect as "an 
auxiliary to the Church" — a friendly outsider. 
But when these schools, like the tents of Israel in 
the land of Goshen, were "increased abundantly, 
and multiplied and waxed exceeding mighty, and 
the land was filled with them," and " inside tenden- 
cies " began to be manifested, those who " knew not 
Joseph" feared exceedingly for the safety of "the 
Church." And the relations of the Sunday-school 

* The law of this Church relating to Sunday-schools 
will be found on pages 131-136, T[ 104, of the Discipline. 



Church Denominational and Sunday-school. 101 



were diligently investigated with many an ominous 
suggestion of ecclesiastic justice. Two important 
and very gratifying facts have been developed. 
First, that the blessing of the Lord is upon the 
Church because of the presence of the Sunday- 
school as surely as it was upon the house of Obed- 
edorn when it sheltered the ark of the covenant.* 
And, second, that the Sunday-school has come to 
stay. Its specific relation to any particular branch 
of the Church is to be determined in the official 
councils of that body; and the decision thus 
reached will materially influence the whole future 
history of such Church. The question cannot 
longer be deferred. To ignore it would be sui- 
cidal. That the Churches are waking up to this 
fact is apparent from the wholesome and system- 
atic legislation that has obtained within the past 
few years — certainly one of the most hopeful signs 
of times to come. If, as Whately says, " children 
are the to-morrow of society," in an equal sense 
the Sunday-school of to-day is the Church of the 
future. 

*Uzzah's folly and Uzzah's fate have been repeated in 
the history of one dead ecclesiastical body, whose remains 
may be seen in certain out-of-the-way places. 



102 Church and School. 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE CHUKCH LOCAL AND THE SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL. 

By local Church is meant "a formally organ- 
ized body of Christian believers worshiping togeth- 
er," as Trinity Church, Oak Grove Church, etc. 

It is the duty of every such Church 
to organize a Sunday-school. In point 
of fact, it would be hard to find a congregation 
worthy the name of a Church without a school ; 
for, with the abundant facilities at hand, and want- 
ing in this particular, it would, to that extent, be 
manifestly lacking in one of the elements which 
go to constitute a true Church. The mere presence 
of a preacher and the delivery of a sermon to a 
congregation of people whose names are enrolled 
does not make a Church, as some seem fondly to 
imagine. The presence of the Christ-spirit is the 
essential thing. It is the Church's soul — a living, 
acting, teaching soul, wherever found. The Church 
that does not teach is dead. Every live Church 
seeks to teach, and seeing its opportunity in the 
Sunday-school, never fails of embracing it as the 
plainest and best way to the discharge of its office 
as a public teacher of Christianity. It also seeks 
to learn, and finds in the Sunday-school ample op- 
portunity for fulfilling the obligations of disciple- 



The Church Local and the Sunday-school. 103 



ship. In which case the act of organization for 
these ends passes out of the sphere of duty into 
that of privilege. Such a Church will have a 
school, if it is within the range of possibility, 

In the interest of young people belong- 
ing to the Church-family. The first, best 
school of religion is not the Sunday-school, nor 
any other Church agency, but the Christian home. 
But there are obligations resting upon the Church 
which this fact cannot diminish or affect in any 
wise. The Church cannot do the w T ork of the 
home; this idea is constantly emphasized. Let 
this also be duly stressed: the home cannot do the 
work of the Church, If, as we have endeavored to 
show elsewhere, all professedly Christian homes 
were what they should be, the Sunday-school would 
still be an indispensable auxiliary to religious train- 
ing. That its value would in such case appreciate 
a hundred-fold in the estimation of parents, is cer- 
tain ; but our homes are not what they ought to 
be, and in all human calculation never will be. 
The Church must do its utmost to make its Sun- 
day-school department equal to the demands which 
this fact imposes. 

A Voice from the Pew. — As Dr. Garland, the 
venerable Chancellor of the Vanderbilt Universi- 
ty, said in the presence of the Memphis Annual 
Conference : 



104 Church and School. 



"Much of ministerial labor is lost for the want 
of that early religious culture which is necessary 
to prepare the mind for the reception of the truth. 
And if, at the formative period of youth, while the 
mind is yet plastic, and sensible to the slightest 
impressions made upon it, you do not preoccupy 
it with truth, it will soon become filled with error, 
which you may not afterward eradicate but with the 
utmost difficulty. After habits have been formed, 
and prejudices have taken possession of the human 
mind, it is next to an impossibility to change the 
one or eradicate the other. You had as well at- 
tempt to beautify and adorn the forest by hewing, 
and trimming, and shaping its sturdy monarchs 
which have become incased and hardened in the 
convolutions of a thousand years. You had as 
well attempt to turn from his course our great Fa- 
ther of Rivers, after he has received his numerous 
tributaries, and is hastening on majestically to 
pour his ample waters into the Mexic Gulf. It is 
by adjusting the early shoots, and bending the 
pliant twigs of a springing undergrowth, that you 
may accomplish the one of these objects; and by 
turning aside along the new water-sheds the tiny 
rills where they burst from the earth, that you 
may accomplish the other. And so it is, by ad- 
justing the early shoots, and by bending the pliant 
twigs of infancy — by turning into new channels the 



The Church Local and the Sunday-school. 105 



first currents of infant thought and feeling — that 
you may effect the moral and religious reformation 
of the world. And without this it cannot be done. 
You may dot the world over with churches, and 
may appoint to serve them men as holy as Paul, 
and as eloquent as Apollos, and yet if their oper- 
ations are confined to the adult population exclu- 
sively, the work of reformation can never end. A 
generation of godless children will ever be coming 
on to fill the places of the sainted dead, upon 
which you have to expend the same labor that was 
expended upon its ungodly predecessor. The sal- 
vation of the world, which is the great mission of 
the Church, depends upon the training of the 
young. 

" Our children are taken into the Church in their 
infancy by baptism.* They are as truly members 
of the Church as adult believers. Our Saviour 
has declared of them, 'Of such is the kingdom of 
heaven/ Why should they go out of it? Was 
such the purpose of Christ concerning them?f 
Must they run into every excess of folly ami sin ? 
Must they spend one-half of their lives in the serv- 
ice of the devil, at the imminent hazard of spend- 

* It will be remembered that Dr. G. is speaking to a 
Methodist Conference. 

f Study carefully Matt, xviii. 1-14, in connection with 
Mark ix. 33-37. 



106 Church and School. 



ing the other half in like manner, in order that, 
under the extraordinary operations of the Spirit, 
they may experience an overwhelming conviction 
and a powerful conversion ? Why should not our 
children grow up as plants in the house of the 
Lord, with their hearts ever glowing with the love 
of Jesus, and always under the regenerating and 
sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost? Glo- 
rious will that day be for the Church when her chil- 
dren shall be so trained that they shall never de- 
part from the ways of the Lord, and their names 
shall never be stricken from the roll of the Church 
militant below, except to be transcribed upon that 
of the Church triumphant above. This is the w T ork 
to which the Church must address itself — this is 
the end to which it must direct its energies. . . . 
And what an instrumentality for good has this in- 
stitution (the Sunday-school) proved itself to be ! 
How clearly has the seal of the Holy Ghost been 
impressed thereupon by his converting and bring- 
ing into Church-fellowship a large majority of those 
who have been trained in Sunday-schools ! They 
are almost the only sheaves which our ministers 
are now gathering in the harvest of the Lord. 
They are those who among our converts stand firm 
and unmovable, and abounding in the work of the 
Lord. They stand firm because they stand in the 
knowledge of the truth, as well as in the power of 



The Church Local and the Sunday-school. 107 



the Holy Ghost. But great as the good already 
accomplished is, it is but as nothing compared with 
that which w T ould be accomplished if this work in- 
terested all hearts, and filled all hands. The Sab- 
bath-school may be made an instrumentality in the 
conversion of the world second only to a living min- 
istry." 

What is thus truly spoken of the whole Church 
in its relation to childhood is true of every part 
of it. Each particular Church needs a Sunday- 
school for the sake of its children — her children, 
rather, for the motherhood of the Church is as 
real as the fatherhood of God ; and there is as lit- 
tle need of mistaking the one as the other. This 
idea is so beautifully presented by an unknown 
writer in the Unitarian Review, that we but chal- 
lenge the gratitude of every reader in quoting a 
few passages : 

"This motherhood of the Church toward 
the children is no mystery hard to fathom and costly 
to attain, but about the simplest thing God has laid 
on our hearts. It begins in a warm, sweet atmos- 
phere of welcome to all the children that flock to 
our sanctuary, very much like that we give to those 
Heaven sends into our homes. It lies also in some 
touch of insight of the promise they hold with all 
children touching the new day of God, when we 
are all dead and gone, and they have to run the 



108 Church and School. 



world — a real longing on our part to make that 
promise good in each little child, and the godly 
fear that if the Church adds her neglect to this of 
the home, many a fair blossom will be blighted, 
which would else bring forth good fruit. It lies 
again in winning them to love the Church ahead 
of any reason they can give for their loving ; and, 
when they come to reason, in the power to find new 
incentives for this affection; and in our power to 
touch them with a sense of God's presence, of 
heaven's nearness, of the loving heart of the Christ 
in whom they believe so instinctively, and in the 
worth of all that is beautiful and noble, and the 

hatefulness of all that is mean and base 

The Church that cares well for the children cares 
well for the quality and continuance of her own 
life. She is the nursing mother of these nurslings 
of God ; and to fail in this duty is to call in ques- 
tion her fitness for such motherhood. And as 
your true mother gains through all her giving, 
and is ruined only by her greed of self in the 
mean disguise of ease and comfort, so when a 
Church cares more for herself than she cares for 
these little ones, she may still have a name to live, 
but she is dead to the finest and most fruitful prom- 
ise of her life, and must neither wonder nor com- 
plain if Heaven leaves her nothing to nurse at last 
but her own desolation." 



Ingathering. 109 



CHAPTER VII. 
INGATHERING. 

However well a Church may have provided 
for her own, there will be ample reason to suspect 
her fidelity to Christ if her solicitude ends with 
the attainment of this object. A true Church, 
having met this requirement, will project Sunday- 
school enterprises upon a liberal basis 

For the benefit of the young people 
who are not of the Church-family. The 
best statisticians tell us that there are six and a-half 
million Sunday-school scholars in the United States, 
and our hearts rejoice; but when we are told that 
" there are at least eleven million children yet out- 
side," and that " the tide of immigration is adding 
to them every day," we feel that although there is 
occasion there is little time for rejoicing. There 
is serious work before us. We remember that 
while praying " Thy kingdom come," we are also 
to speed its coming by constant aggressive effort — 
" laboring together with God " for the ingathering 
of those " which are without," myriads of whom 
are as lambs having no fold and no shepherd. 

The spirit of Christ is a missionary 
spirit, and no man is a true Christian, and no con- 
gregation is a true Church, in the absence of that 
spirit. Having organized a Sunday-school for the 



110 Church and School. 



children that belong to her by birthright, the 
maternal instinct of a true Church will further as- 
sert itself toward such as come to her for shelter 
and spiritual sustenance. Nor will she be content 
with those who are thus drawn to her, but going 
out into the highways and by-ways of the world, 
"she will gather yet others who are orphaned in 
what makes for the soul's life, and standing to 
them in God's stead, she will make good the prom- 
ise, When thy father and thy mother forsake thee, 
then the Lord will take thee up." 

The Home Field. — Every Church in the land 
is within reach of some portion of these millions 
of untaught, ill-taught, wandering children of our 
Father. They throng the streets and alleys of our 
cities ; our country-places furnish their full quota 
of them. They are at our very sanctuary-doors. 
They never hear a prayer nor a sacred soug — ex- 
cept by accident; nor the name of God, unless 
profanely used; never hear a sermon, never enter 
a Church; having about as little personal ac- 
quaintance with preachers and teachers of Chris- 
tianity as the human tides that sweep through the 
narrow streets of Shanghai. The time for blinking 
these facts, if it ever existed, has passed. We are 
confronted by a stern obligation to seek the evan- 
gelization of these sinning, suffering ones, for 
whom, as truly as for us, Christ died. The easiest 



Ingathering. Ill 



approach to the visible Church is through its Sun- 
day-school. If the mass of these of whom we 
speak be not persuaded to enter by this way, they 
will never come into it at all. Staying without as 
alien enemies, they will oppose its every movement. 
No Church is loyal to the Master that does not 
strive to make a Sunday-school scholar of every 
young person in the community. Being careless 
of other children is proof positive that it is not 
wisely careful for its own. And let Churches and 
parents lay this saying to heart : " No child is safe 
so long as any child in the neighborhood is neg- 
lected." * As some one has remarked of the Chi- 
nese on our w T estern coast, "If w 7 e do not Christian- 
ize them, they will heathenize us." 

Is It True ? — Few young people, properly ap- 
proached, are unwilling to learn. The Sunday- 
school stands the test of experience as a mode of 
instruction to which above all others they are fa- 
vorably disposed. It is popular. Think of wait- 
ing sinners willing to be taught, and an unready 
Church unwilling to teach ! Be it Methodist, Bap- 
tist, Presbyterian, "Mount Zion," "Enon," "St. 
Paul's," name it as you will, is that a true Church? 

Again : It is the duty of a Church to provide a 
Sunday-school 

For the benefit of newly converted 

*Hart. 



112 Church and School. 



persons. Having spoken of this matter at some 
length in treating of the objects of the Sunday- 
school, in another chapter, only a brief allusion is 
necessary here. 

By regeneration one is made a new creature. 
With spiritual birth comes a second childhood— a 
tender, trustful eagerness to know more of the new 
life. Spiritual manhood comes by growth, and by 
growth alone. If a Church having children born 
unto her is true to herself and to God, their Fa- 
ther, she is indeed a nursing mother, feeding her 
babes on what is most available to her and most 
needful and desirable to them — the sincere milk 
of the word — that they may grow thereby. Thus 
nourished, they will grow according to a law as 
constant as that which guides the stars. They 
must grow or die. Alas! how many Churches, 
after great travail in "the revival, " fail in those 
gentle ministries which make the new-life joys of 
the little ones day by day more real and abiding; 
and so, "instead of being nursing mothers to them, 
become very cruel step-mothers, training them in 
hard and bitter dogmas, and making their poor 
little lives a burden by their stern insistence on 
'thou shalt' and 'thou shalt not/ until they break 
away from their wintry shelter in disgust just as 
soon as they are able." Break away from the 
bosom where they should have found the nourish- 



Ingathering. 113 



ment they craved, and from the arms which should 
have held them in affectionate embrace — some to 
become insignificant formalists, others bold back- 
sliders, others still to curse the Church by open 
acts of outlawry. Is there any curse upon the 
Church to-day comparable to that of apostasy? 
And is it not largely accounted for on the ground 
that religion is undertaken as an experiment in 
futures with a wide margin for decline in present 
value rather than an unconditional surrender and 
soul-committal to a covenant-keeping God upon 
the inflexible terms of the gospel ? " If any man 
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take 
up his cross and follow me." 

Only those who are familiar with Bible 
truth know r what christianity demands of 
service and of sacrifice; only those remain 
steadfast who, being educated in its princi- 
ples, are thus rooted and grounded in the faith. 
Jesus assaulted in the wilderness replied to the 
adversary, " It is written," and with the sword of 
the Spirit, which is the word of God, vanquished 
him. After the baptism, then the battle of the 
wilderness, which every follower must sooner or 
later fight single-handed and alone. And he will 
need to be equipped with something more substan- 
tial than the memory of a bitter repentance and a 
bright conversion. To be successful in that con- 
8 



114 Church and School. 



test, he must wield the weapon Jesus used — God's 
word, " It is written.'' Again — 

If he is to be a soldier of the cross, he 
must be familiar with the voice of his com- 
MANDER. How can he serve God when he does n't 
know what service is required of him? How can 
he know without a study of the Bible? And how 
many young people are capable of studying- it in- 
telligently apart from such help as is afforded in 
the Sunday-school? It may be objected that the 
word is not faithfully expounded in many schools. 
Granted; but let it not be forgotten that every 
Church-school is an exponent of the fidelity or in- 
fidelity of the Church with which it is connected. 
As the school is so is the Church, in both faith and 
practice. If the school is not what it ought to be, the 
fault is with the Church. Not the Church as apart 
from the school, but as represented by it, and less 
among those members — who are perhaps doing 
the best they know how — within the school than 
among those who stand aloof and criticise it. 
The school is what the Church makes it — neither 
more nor less ; a training-school of disciples or tri- 
flers. 

A Church ought to devise liberal things in its 
Sunday-school department 

For the benefit of adults. Our attention 
has been directed to the Sunday-school as an agen- 



Ingathering. 115 



cy for the Christian education mainly of the young. 
Why? Because this is its most important work. 
If what has already been said does not sustain the 
proposition, nothing we might now advance would 
avail any thing. Take care of the young people, 
and the old ones will take care of themselves. 
The old adage as to dimes and dollars is no truer 
than this, nor more clearly illustrated in moneta- 
ry affairs than this in morals and religion. Spir- 
itual poverty will as certainly follow negligence 
of the young people as sorrow follows sin. The 
Church has blundered fearfully along this line. 
Thank God for abundant evidence of returning 
reason ! 

The Sunday-school as a means of grace to 
adult members of the Church has not received 
the recognition it deserves from leaders of relig- 
ious thought. Its value in this regard has not 
been sufficiently impressed upon the people from 
the pulpit, for the reason that many preachers 
have failed to perceive the possibilities of this 
agency. They have not studied it as they ought. 
To tell the plain truth, many of them are, in this 
respect, far in the rear of those they profess to 
lead. What is needed in order to secure adult at- 
tendance in our Sunday-schools? We answer, un- 
hesitatingly, ministerial influence. This alone 
will not solve the difficulty, but it is the prime 



116 Church and School. 



factor without which all others are of little ad- 
vantage. Do pastors desire to see the older mem- 
bers learning more of God's truth ? Let them 
express that desire unequivocally by publicly and 
privately insisting upon such members assembling 
with the Sunday-school for that purpose. And 
let not the exhortation fail of proper support in 
the shape of solid reasons. If need be, let pastors 
call special meetings for discussing the subject. 
There are Churches where a Sabbath evening de- 
voted to this object would work a revolution in 
methods of Bible-study. 



Discipleship. 117 



CHAPTER VIII. 
DISCIPLESHIP. 

" The disciples were called Christians first in An- 
tioch," and that was about ten years after the great 
Pentecostal ingathering. The word Christian oc- 
curs only three times in the New Testament, while 
two hundred and sixty-two times the followers of 
Jesus are called disciples — learners. Where one 
ceases to learn he parts company with Jesus. And 
so it has come to pass that multitudes who began 
as disciples have ended in apostasy. While a few 
in the Church have conferred up<Mi them the title 
of D.D., thousands, neglecting the Sunday-school 
and kindred agencies, have graduated to the de- 
gree of B.E. — backslider in religion. " Going to 
preaching" is well enough as far as it goes, but it 
does not meet the demands of discipleship ; and 
nothing will but close personal study, and close 
personal application, of the truth of God as con- 
tained in the Holy Scriptures. The man who con- 
tents himself with listening to the preacher is 
attempting to serve the Lord by proxy, with alarm- 
ingly fair prospects of getting to heaven in the 
same way — by proxy. 

No one will deny the obligation that is upon 
every professed follower of our Lord, without re- 
spect of age, to learn all he can of his word. Who 



118 Church and School. 



will deny that the Sunday-school affords ample op- 
portunities for acquiring such knowledge? Can 
any man deliberately refuse these opportunities, 
week by week, without incurring the Divine dis- 
pleasure ? 

Who should go to Sunday-school ? Ev- 
erybody ? No. Some cannot. It is the duty of 
such to stay at home. But all who can, whether 
old or young, ought to attend. It is clearly a 
matter of duty. As such let it be emphasized in 
every congregation, and we shall have less occasion 
for the exercise of Church discipline. If Church- 
membership means any thing, it means disciple- 
ship ; and this is specifically the meaning of Sun- 
day-school membership. The man or woman who 
refuses attendance on the score of not being needed 
as a teacher has utterly mistaken the place and 
purpose of the school. Such a one has much to 
learn of the meek and lowly Jesus, and if not in 
demand as a teacher, might, with great propriety, 
seek to become a scholar. No man so old, or wise, 
or good, but that growing older he may also grow 
wiser and better from going to Church once a 
week to investigate and discuss with his friends 
and neighbors a portion of Scripture. Old peo- 
ple meet and take delight in discussing agricult- 
ural, mechanical, political, commercial, and do- 
mestic affairs. They make it a matter of busi- 



Discipleship. 119 



ness. Will Church-members never get it into their 
heads that religion means business? That being 
good always implies doing good ? 

Why is it that so many actually avoid 
the Sunday-school ? Having propounded that 
question, another presented itself: Is it possible 
to answer this truthfully without serious offense? 
In this dilemma our eye fell upon the pages of an 
old Sunday School Magazine. There, side by side, 
were two articles upon this very subject — one writ- 
ten by the Rev. Dr. Hargrove, then president of 
a college in Tennessee ; the other from the Rev. 
Dr. Fitzgerald, president of a college in Califor- 
nia. A brief examination revealed the fact that 
the center had been driven from our troublesome 
target. Nothing, therefore, remains for us but to 
express in advance our admiration of the accuracy 
of aim thus manifested. 

Dr. Hargrove, after showing from statistics that 
of a leading Church more than one-half, or about 
four hundred thousand adult members, stand en- 
tirely aloof from the Sunday-school movement, 
contributing nothing to it and receiving no person- 
al benefit from it, says : " This fact, in this enlight- 
ened Christian age — the age of Sunday-schools — is 

appalling Leisure is the primary 

meaning of the Greek word for school. And since 
the Church has appropriated Sunday for its school, 



12.0 Church and School. 



it conforms exactly to the original idea, enabling 
all to be scholars. Indolence, and not the lack of 
leisure, is the real impediment. To luxuriate in 
sleep on Sunday is more congenial to the taste of 
thousands than the study of the Scriptures. . . / 
To make every adult member of the Church either 
a teacher or a scholar is the work now before the 
Sunday-school. Attainments, and not age, should 
determine the relations of teacher and scholar. 
'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: 
because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also 
reject thee/ The Master seeks 'disciples.' Go ' ye 
therefore, and disciple all nations.'" 

Says Dr. Fitzgerald : " This is the work of the 
whole Church. Yes, of the whole Church. Every 
Christian man, every Christian woman, is bound 
to engage in this work to the full extent of his or 
her ability, influence, and opportunity. There is 
no escape from the responsibility. The logic of 
the case is this : If the Sunday-school work is not 
the proper work of the Church, let Christians have 
nothing to do with it. If it is the proper work of 
the Church, then should every Christian take hold 
of it. The excuses usually made are flimsy enough : 
'I haven't time; I haven't the ability; others can 
do the work better.' You have plenty of time ; 
you have not tested your ability; others cannot do 
your work. There is work enough for all. If you 



Discipleship. 121 



share the neglect of others, you must also share in 
their condemnation. 

" The real excuse is seldom given for neglect of 
Sunday-school work by members of the Church. 
It is not for lack of a general interest in the ad- 
vancement of Christianity in the earth. It is not 
on account of any opposition to Sunday-schools. 
It is not from lack of faith in ultimate success, for 
they believe that somehow, and by some agency, 
God will save the world. What, then, is it ? It 
is laziness. This work is real work. It is not the 
occasional expression of a mere sentiment; it is 
not a mere frolic, expending itself in concerts, 
exhibitions, and picnics; it is not anniversary 
speechifyings and reunions. No ; it is work — work 
requiring self-denial, diligence, and energy; w T ork 
arduous, delicate, and difficult in proportion to the 
preciousness of the interests involved ; work worthy 
the disciples of Him whose whole life was self- 
sacrifice; work w 7 ith Jesus and for Jesus; work 
which he will abundantly, gloriously, eternally 
reward." 



122 Church and School. 



CHAPTER IX. 
MAINTENANCE OF THE SCHOOL. 

It is the duty of the Church to give its Sunday- 
school a generous support, 

1. By attendance, as above indicated. Little 
difficulty is experienced in securing the attendance 
of children. They are usually glad of the oppor- 
tunity. The trouble is with their seniors, of whom, 
according to the principles of the gospel and com- 
mon reason, better things should be expected. 
Strange to say, the older Church-members are, as 
a class, harder to bring in than any others, except 
" case-hardened sinners." And much of the trouble 
experienced in holding the young men and young 
women is due to the absence of their elders, whose 
freedom from restraint they covet, and whose bad 
example they are not slow to imitate. We shall 
never be able to hold them so long as their fathers 
and mothers teach them to break away — never. 
He was a wise man who, in reply to the question, 
"How may we retain the young people in our 
school?" said, "By building a wall of old people 
between them and the door." The salvation of 
many depends upon the stone-wall fidelity of the 
older members of the Church. If a man knows 
much of divine things, he is under the greater 
obligation to teach others — to let his light shine. 



Maintenance of the School. 123 



This he may do effectually by becoming a member 
of a class where there is already a full corps of 
regular teachers. How many there are who refuse 
to attend because they may not be called "Rabbi" 
— who will have a chief seat or none ! But if one 
knows little, the greater reason why he should em- 
brace this God-given opportunity for learning 
more. Every Church-member who habitually and 
willfully absents himself from the Sunday-school 
throws the weight of his influence into the scale 
of public sentiment against its operations as a soul- 
saving agency. Ponder this statement prayerfully. 
It is the duty of a Church to support its school, 
2. By furnishing competent officers 
and teachers. From every quarter comes the 
cry for Sunday-school pastors, for superintendents 
and teachers, worthy and well qualified. The Mac- 
edonian call to the great apostle to the Gentiles 
was not more distinct. What is a Church fit for 
that will not respond to this demand in the in- 
terest of her own children and neighbors? that 
leaves them to the caprice of fortune and public 
benevolence ? It is a well-known fact in Sunday- 
school circles that the schools of large and influ- 
ential Churches are often put to the shameful ne- 
cessity of borrowing officers and teachers from 
other denominations, and even forced to the ex- 
tremity of employing "clever sinners" in that 



124 Church and School. 



capacity. Another fact equally notorious is that 
very many of our officers and teachers are so in- 
competent as to exercise little influence for good. 
How may a change for the better be se- 
cured ? Although not strictly in order under the 
present head, the following suggestions are offered : 

(1) Organize a teachers' normal or training class. 

(2) Let the pastor, superintendent, and Church- 
officers diligently use their influence to bring into 
this class the best material the Church affords. 

(3) Have weekly meetings, led by the pastor, or 
other person competent to drill the class in Bible- 
study and the art of teaching. 

A Church is under obligation to foster its school, 
3. By rendering financial assistance. 
There are many who cannot become regular mem- 
bers of the school — such should go as often as possi- 
ble, if only as visitors ; but all are in duty bound to 
give it financial support. Before entering the 
Church as a member, every one is met by the minis- 
ter at the door with certain questions — among oth- 
ers, this: "Will you support its institutions?" and 
the answer given is, in substance, this : " I will en- 
deavor so to do, by the help of God." There are some 
who have made this solemn assertion who need to 
be reminded that a vow to God is a vow forever. 
The Sunday-school is one of the institutions of the 
Church. Thousands with ample means live and 



Maintenance of the School. 125 



die as Church-members without having contributed 
a dime to the school's support, on the ground of 
non-attendance and non-participation. It is no 
unusual thing for a Church to devolve this entire 
financial burden upon a handful of Sunday-school 
workers. As a rule, the school pays its own ex- 
penses. It is forced into a self-sustaining, inde- 
pendent attitude, and then eyed with much sus- 
picion by "the Church" when, by virtue of such 
training, its self-assertion crops out. The faithful 
starvationists fear for the safety of "the Church." 
Those who have been bearing the brunt of its de- 
fense experience no such anxiety. Bringing the 
school under supervision of the Church brings the 
Church under the plainest obligation to sustain it. 
as a soul-saving agency of the church, 
the Sunday-school is entitled to a system- 
atic and generous support. Its claims should 
come before the official board of the Church in 
regular session, and adequate provision for meet- 
ing its legitimate expenses should be made as 
cheerfully as for the pulpit and its contingencies. 
The idea that " the Church " is to provide specially 
for adults, and the school for young people, is 
false in conception, and in practice subversive of 
the principles upon which both depend for success. 
The needs of a Sunday-school are the needs of the 
Church it represents, and all expenditures made to 



126 Church and School. 



secure requisites to its greater efficiency are pro- 
motive of the Church's best interests. Supplies 
of lesson-helps, books, and furniture being provided 
for, the school opens the way for developing among 
the scholars a spirit of practical benevolence by 
turning their contributions to missionary and other 
charitable objects. Merely buying what they want, 
paying for w r hat they consume, has in it a selfish 
consideration which leaves it almost valueless as 
an example of Christian giving. This grace can 
never be developed in our scholars as it ought to 
be until a close degree of intimacy is realized in 
the financial operations of Church and school. 
Let these be used as stepping-stones to complete 
unity of object and effort. The Church that pro- 
vides well for its young people will never be fright- 
ened by the bugbear of Sunday-school independ- 
ence. "If any provide not for his own, and spe- 
cially for those of his own house, he hath denied 
the faith, and is worse than an infidel," says the 
apostle. To what extent the principle is applica- 
ble to a Church, the reader will judge for himself. 



Mission Schools. 127 



CHAPTER X. 
MISSION SCHOOLS. 

Arms Outstretched to Save. — If by mis- 
sion school is meant a place where poor folks may- 
learn of Jesus and his love, we take early occasion 
to say that every Sunday-school in the vicinity of 
the aforesaid poor folks ought to be a mission 
school; and will be, if it is a school of Christ. 
Any such organization professing the doctrine of 
the cross as its governing principle, and living for 
its own contemptible little self to the exclusion 
of the poor, is a fraud pure and simple; and a 
con ni vent Church is no better. The language of 
a distinguished speaker in a Brooklyn institute 
was both strong and just when he said: "The 
Church whose carpets are too nice, whose pews 
are too carefully covered, whose architecture is 
too fine to admit God's poor, ought to be torn 
down and thrown into the East River." A Sun- 
day-school that flourishes through the exclusion of 
" the lower orders " is a fungus of gentility spring- 
ing out of the dry-rot of respectability in the 
Church with w T hich it is connected. The Christ, 
whose earthly home was in the work-shop of the 
carpenter, and whose sole mission was to save 
sinners, never authorized a Church to know any 
man after the flesh as high or low. His enemies 



128 Church and School. 



crowned him with immortal distinction when they 
said, "This man receiveth sinners." It would be 
easy to show that the benefits following Christian 
associations of wealth and intelligence with pover- 
ty and ignorance are purely mutual, being as need- 
ful to the representatives of the former as to # those 
of the latter. To hold otherwise is to contradict 
human experience and divine revelation. It is 
practically arraying Jesus in royal purple to make 
the mockery of worship more complete. 

The best way in the world to develop in the 
children of the Church a stalwart missionary spir- 
it is to bring them face to face with missionary 
facts. Bringing into your Church school the larg- 
est number of illiterate and destitute is to plead 
most effectively your own cause before the throne 
of God. "A Church is guilty which allows any 
child to grow up in irreligion whom it has the 
means of reaching and reclaiming. What is true 
of a Church is true of its members individually." 

A Difficulty. — In dealing with the class just 
referred to, tact as well as piety will be required. 
Unfounded suspicions and unreasonable prejudices 
will be encountered. Much thankless labor will 
be exacted before these are disarmed. Patience 
and perseverance will be heavily taxed. Persons 
as poor as Lazarus and as proud as Lucifer will be 
found who, in spite of all the facts to the contrary, 



Mission Schools, 129 



will make "too much pride in the Church" a bar 
to their attendance. And it may be worth while 
to consider whether in efforts at conciliation we do 
not sometimes concede too much; making a dis- 
tinction in favor of "poor pride" that has no war- 
rant in reason or revelation, virtually establishing 
a pernicious principle and strengthening the most 
formidable barrier by which our efforts are op- 
posed. Pride is pride, whether in high places or 
in low, and is a foe to religion wherever found. 
But he that winneth souls is wise above all human 
wisdom. Seeking in the spirit of Jesus, the Friend 
of sinners, to rescue the perishing, love's ingenui- 
ty w 7 ill triumph at last in the face of every difficul- 
ty. An honest, earnest effort in behalf of the poor 
never fails of heavenly recognition. 

Mission Schools Proper. — When a Church 
has brought under cultivation its own field, its 
next duty is to carry the gospel into the regions 
beyond. There are few Churches, whether in 
city or country, that have not mission fields at 
hand. No apostolic call more positive than that 
which comes to a Church with the conviction that 
a Sunday-school is needed in a contiguous district. 
It is God's call for harvest-hands. To ignore it is 
to forfeit his favor and suffer irreparable loss. 

Who is called ? That question is easily set- 
tled. Let the Church assemble, and consecrating 



130 Church and School. 



itself to this work, pray the Lord of the harvest 
to send forth chosen laborers. Then, when God's 
voice through conscience speaks, let men obey. 

Make Church-work of It.— The whole 
history of mission schools proves it to be better 
for an individual Church to assume the undivided 
responsibility of organizing and maintaining a 
school than to share it with others or devolve it 
upon some foreign society. As Eggleston says: 
"The more direct the sympathy between a mis- 
sion school and some individual Church the better 
it is for both. There is poor economy in the 
union of the several Churches in a village to sus- 
tain one mission, when either one of them would 
sustain it in money and teachers as well as all do. 
As a rule, let each Church find its own field and 
plant its own school." 



Sunday-school Organization and Management. 131 



CHAPTER XL 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL OKGANIZATION AND 

MANAGEMENT. 

Organization implies the adaptation 
of means to end, and in this particular instance 
may be taken as a notable example of wisdom, the 
accepted definition of which is, " The use of the best 
means for attaining the best ends." There may be 
tremendous power stored up in the engine-room of 
a manufactory, but it is useless, if not positively 
dangerous, until, through a systematic disposition 
of shaft and belt, it is organized — transmitted, dis- 
tributed, and applied at the right place and in the 
right way. The organization here considered de- 
velops teaching-power in the Church, and gives it 
proper application in the school-room. The great 
majority of schools have enough of piety, intelli- 
gence, and zeal at hand to achieve reasonable suc- 
cess; and yet how many of them live at a poor, 
dying rate! how many die outright for want of 
organization! There is a loss of vital power for 
want of a wise adjustment of the various working 
parts. 

Two prominent faults may be mentioned : 
First, too great a distance between Church and 
school — loss in transmission; second, a general 
looseness in the school-room — loss in distribution 



I?? Church and School. 



and application of forces. The former will engage 
our attention in .this chapter; the latter will be 
considered in due time. Looking at Sunday- 
schools as they exist among us, we find them 
divided into two principal classes — union and 
denominational. 

Union Schools. — There are thousands of 
such schools in our country. Part of them, originat- 
ing in local efforts of individual Christians of vari- 
ous branches of the Church, and persons friendly 
thereto, are self-constituted, self-supporting, and 
self-governing — entirely independent of ecclesias- 
tical or other jurisdiction. The remainder, aside 
from being organized by missionaries of the Amer- 
ican Sunday-school Union,* and for the most part 

* Of all the means employed for the promotion of the 
Sunday-school cause in the United States, none have ex- 
erted a greater influence than this society. Founded in 
1824, it has secured the organization of 71,775 schools, in 
which have been gathered 456,120 teachers, and 3,038,605 
scholars. It has expended in missionary work $2,725,941 ; 
donating books and other requisites to the amount of about 
$593,488. Total number of publications circulated, nearly 
7,500,000. Originating in a necessity which denomina- 
tional enterprise was powerless to meet, it has by its vig- 
orous and systematic methods contributed largely to the 
preeminence of the United States in Sunday-school prog- 
ress. The evil consequences so freely charged to it by in- 
considerate Churchmen here and there are, in the main, 



Sunday-school Organization and Management. 133 



receiving material aid from it, are in all essential 
features similar to those just mentioned. Union 
schools are best only where they exist by virtue of 
necessity. The necessitating circumstances reduced 
to their simplest form are as follows: First, where 
some particular Church cannot, or, second, where 
some Church will not, establish a school. In which 
case we cannot but say, " God's blessings be upon 
those who go forward to lead the young to Christ, 
and his followers to a deeper work of grace through 
the study of his word, in a union school." In such 

traceable to supineness on the part of Churches who were 
content to remain as pensioners upon the bounty of the 
Union long after they were able to take care of themselves. 
If the union or mission school idea has been unduly fos- 
tered to the detriment of Church schools, let the blame lie 
where it chiefly belongs — at the door of laggard Churches. 
That this idea has been cherished as a luxury where it 
should only have been accepted as a stern necessity can- 
not be denied. It is not the aim of the Union to establish 
the notion that undenominational schools are best. "The 
Scriptures being the text-book, the instruction, as well as 
the connection of the school, is left to those who compose 
and conduct it. It may become denominational whenever 
it elects." (Keport of the Union, 1880, p. 7.) That the 
Union has at present a very decided leaning in the direc- 
tion of Calvinistic theology is quite apparent ; that this is 
in some measure due to the withdrawal of influence and 
patronage on the part of those of the opposite faith, in favor 
of denominational enterprises, will hardly be questioned. 



134 Church and School. 



a case, the dog-in-the-manger cry of "Church 
schools or none" is as heartless as it is senseless. 
There will be, of necessity there must be, in many 
localities union schools or none. And it is the 
bounden duty of Christian people in the vicinity 
to aid in making them as efficient as possible until 
such time as it becomes evident that they should 
be put under Church supervision. Then let Chris- 
tian magnanimity have full exercise. 

The advantages claimed for union schools 
are more than counterbalanced by the inherent and 
radical defects of that system. The unanimity of 
sentiment upon which it is based is more appar- 
ent' than real — not spontaneous, but constrained. 
There is no use quarreling with facts. As a sys- 
tem, it is always and everywhere a compromise 
measure dictated by expediency. Differences of 
opinion on points of doctrine and economy never 
cease to exist, and rarely fail of annoying. They 
cannot be held in absolute abeyance — they will 
come to the front in a most obstinate and perplex- 
ing fashion. That union schools are fruitful of 
discords, and difficult of management, is a well- 
attested fact of the first magnitude ; that denom- 
inational schools are more generously provided for, 
and better sustained in every way by those com- 
posing them, is equally true. 

Defects. — To enumerate the evils incident to 



Sunday-school Organization and Management. 135 



this system would require a chapter. Being self- 
constituted and independent, the channels through 
which the sympathy and aid of the visible Church 
might reach the school are closed, and some of 
the most important functions of the Church are 
seriously impaired. It is cut off from a much- 
needed pastoral care, which no preacher, however 
deeply concerned, dare attempt to exercise. It is 
subject to the caprice of whimsical people inside, 
and the impertinent offices of busybodies from 
without. Being defective in organization, having 
neither pastoral nor ecclesiastical head, the chances 
of unskillful management and the danger of fal- 
lacious teachings are multiplied, while laxity in 
doctrinal principles and disloyalty to established 
institutions of the various Churches have ample 
opportunity for development — if, indeed, specific 
occasion be not furnished, as sometimes happens. 

Union schools are not the best — so pro- 
nounced by all leading Sunday-school men. There 
is not a society on earth proposing to perpetuate the 
system further than necessity compels its adoption. 
Never organize a union school except as a last re- 
sort. Then stand by it like a man until you see 
your way clearly to something better. 

United Schools. — Organizations under this 
title are being effected here and there with a view 
to bringing Church and school into closer affinity, 



136 Church and School. 



and to avoiding difficulties to which allusion has 
been made. For example, two denominations, 
numerically weak, or worshiping in a union house 
(may the generation to come never see the like of 
it !), agree to unite forces in Sunday-school work, 
leaving lesson literature to personal choice, or using 
representative publications alternately, each re- 
porting to its official body numbers according to 
the denominational preferences of those who at- 
tend. 

Denominational Schools. — The right of a 
congregation to a preacher of its own faith and 
order is everywhere allowed. The securing of a 
representative minister is held to be a duty. But 
the right and duty of a congregation with refer- 
ence to the organization of a Sunday-school in its 
house of worship is a mooted question in some 
neighborhoods to this good hour. Its glaring ab- 
surdity forbids discussion here. The day is speed- 
ily coming in which public opinion will require 
every Church owning or controlling a house of 
worship to maintain in it a good school ; in default 
of which it will shortly be compelled to sell out to 
a congregation that will. If preaching is needed, 
so is Sunday-school instruction ; and wherever reg- 
ular appointments for preaching are maintained 
the duty of Sunday-school organization follows le- 
gitimately and imperatively. It is on this princi- 



Sunday-school Organization and Management. 137 



pie, and not self-aggrandizement, as even its near- 
sighted advocates sometimes make it appear, that 
the Methodist book of Discipline says, " Let Sun- 
day-schools be formed in all our congregations 
where ten persons can be collected for that pur- 
pose." Mark — not ten children, but ten persons of 
any age ; not the planting of certain dogmas in 
childish minds, but the eradication of moral ig- 
norance and sin from all minds and hearts. Every 
Church needs a Sunday-school, and every Sunday- 
school needs a Church. 

The loose Church relation, to which ob- 
jection has been made, exists in a modified form 
among schools conducted under the auspices of sev- 
eral prominent denominations. In the absence of 
specific ecclesiastical law, the organization and man- 
agement of the school are left wholly to its mem- 
bers ; the official Church-board consenting. The 
attitude, it will be readily seen, is equivocal, with 
an unwholesome tendency to mutual exclusiveness. 
But measures are being adopted by all branches 
of the Church which insure a proper recognition 
of the school-service, and a wise adjustment of 
privilege and prerogative in relation to all other 
departments of Church-work. 

That organization is best which secures 
from the Church and develops in the school-room 
maximum power with minimum friction. All of- 



138 Church and School. 



ficers of Church schools are properly agents of the 
Church of which they are members, and the most 
intimate and harmonious relations should subsist 
between them and other agents of the Church in 
all its departments. Any Sunday-school organi- 
zation that does not recognize the pastor as com- 
mander-in-chief of the teaching-service is seriously 
defective. 

Classification. — It is manifestly right that we 
should adopt in the Sunday-school such elements 
of the secular school system as will make it most 
influential in securing the objects proposed. Aside 
from moral obligations, this is dictated by a wise 
expediency. The power of a Sunday-school is 
seriously impaired the moment pupils begin to dis- 
criminate in favor of the system employed in the 
school to which they go on week days. The su- 
periority of means, by a natural but fallacious 
process of reasoning, makes the ends superior. 
The instruction of the head thus takes precedence 
over the education of the heart, the relative im- 
portance of each being measured by the merits of 
respective methods. System in the Church school 
must keep pace with that of the day-school if we 
would foster in our pupils a due regard for the in- 
terests we represent. And however modified to 
suit special requirements, the system adopted 
should, in point of excellence, never be allowed to 



Sunday-school Organization and Management. 139 



fall a single degree below the standard of the 
neighboring day-school. All^ it may rise above 
that is so much clear gain. 

This scheme of classification, as given in the 
"Normal Guide," has been extensively adopted, in 
whole or in part : 

1. The primary, or infant; made up of non- 
reading pupils, usually averaging from five to eight 
years of age. 

2. The intermediate, or elementary pupils ; from 
eight to ten. 

3. The third grade, or junior; from ten to fif- 
teen. 

4. The senior grade; this includes the older 
pupils, and embraces the lecture class, which is 
organized to accommodate those who are unwill- 
ing to submit to examinations, or to the ordinary 
questioning of the class, but who desire to enjoy 
the instructions of a wise lecturer. 

5. The normal grade; made up of two classes 
of pupils, the candidates for the teacher's office, 
who form a sort of preparatory normal class, and 
those who give attention especially to the study of 
methods and to actual practice in teaching. 

6. The sixth, or permanent grade; this will em- 
brace all who have passed the preceding grades, or 
who on account of good scholarship shall be elect- 
ed by the proper officers or board of the school. 



140 Church and School. 



This grade is designed to hold its members for life. 
It is the very highest department of the school. 

Management. — As a premise, we hold this to 
be true : that after a Church has organized a school, 
the question of management "is not so much that 
of authority as that of mutual duty; not how 
much submission the school is to render to the 
Church, but how much aid and encouragement the 
Church is to render to the school." * And so long 
as a Church holds itself responsible for both the 
government and instruction of the school, its 
agents in this work will be so accredited that no 
other aspect of the question is likely to require 
attention. 

The superintendent, as the chief executive 
of the Church in its Sunday-school, must receive his 
appointment from the Church, else he is neither 
the authorized representative of it nor responsible 
to it. Being appointed "by the Church to do a 
work for the Church, under instructions from the , 
Church," his office is magnified, while at the same 
time safeguards are thrown around all the real in- 
terests of the school. 

General Principles. — 1. All the affairs of 
the Sunday-school should be subject to careful and 
judicious supervision by the authorities of the 
Church. 2. The pastor should be held to account 

*Tyng. 



Sunday-school Organization and Management. 141 



for the character of instruction given in the school. 
3. The appointment of subordinate officers and 
teachers should be by conjoint action of pastor 
and superintendent. The approval of the official 
board of the Church should be requested, and the 
names of persons thus recognized should be entered 
on the Church-record. All subsequent changes 
should likewise go to record. 4. The superintend- 
ent should be left as free as possible in details of 
management, and held responsible to the official 
board for the general conduct of the school. 5. 
Good discipline in the classes should be required 
by the superintendent at the hands of their re- 
spective teachers. 6. "The cooperation of the 
scholars should be secured in making the school 
a place of worship, of social freedom, and of true 
instruction." 



PART FIFTH. 

Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE PASTORS PLACE. 

The sphere of the Church involves 
that of the Sunday-school • The operations 
of the school are essential to completeness in the 
circle of Churchly activities. With every mode in 
which these express themselves the pastor must 
be intimately related, else he is no true pastor. 
Here is a Church under his care. He is "preach- 
er in charge." That Church is carrying on a Sun- 
day-school with the moral and religious instruction 
of those who attend it as its avowed object. Now, 
what is the relation of that preacher to that 
school? As an individual, he might be connected 
with it in various ways ; as a pastor, he must sus- 
tain to it a pastoral relation — else, we repeat, he is 
no true pastor. 

Authority. — The chief functions of the pas- 
torate are supervision and instruction. These the 
preacher in charge should exercise with the same 
diligence in the Sunday-school as in any other de- 
partment; and with equal discretion from a like 
(142) 



The Pastor's Place. 143 



exalted motive — the spiritual welfare of his flock. 
But things are in a bad way when a pastor deems 
it necessary to make a formal declaration of his 
right to rule. When the lust of government su- 
persedes the love of souls, whether on the part of 
preacher or people, religion w T ill have cause to 
blush for the errors of her advocates. A conflict 
of opinion will furnish occasion for a scramble for 
power; and, however it may terminate, the devil 
has the victory at last. That collisions sometimes 
occur " from a false theory of the school as an in- 
dependency, or from the personal sensitiveness of 
a superintendent, more fond of authority than fit- 
ted for its exercise," is true. That " clerical arro- 
gance, perfunctoriness, and practical incompeten- 
cy " are also among the exciting causes is likewise 
true. The preacher who would appear in the 
school merely as a rival of the superintendent in 
ecclesiastical power ought to be unfrocked. In 
the vigorous language of an old pastor, "A puppet 
king in a puppet pantomime is more dignified than 
he who plays the prelate in the Sunday-school, be- 
cause he is pastor, and has the right from Church- 
dom to do it." A wise exercise of pastoral pre- 
rogatives will reduce to an infinitesimal degree 
the necessity of asserting them. 

Supervision. — By virtue of his office, the pas- 
tor is general supervisor of all agencies proposing 



144 Officers and Teachers. 



the education of his people in the faith and prac- 
tice of religion. He is to "take heed to all the 
flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made 
him overseer, to feed the Church of God. which he 
hath purchased with his own blood." Tlnder-shep- 
herds may be employed, but never in such wise as 
to absolve him of personal obligation. It is his 
duty to know what is done in the Sunday-school 
and how it is done; to know what, how, and by 
whom the scholars are taught. He must know, or 
he will fail of having an answer when the chief 
Shepherd and Bishop of souls shall appear to make 
requisition. 

The spirit in which this duty is performed 
will materially affect its value; as the true worth 
of any service is determined by its motive rather 
than its execution. Every right-minded, right- 
hearted pastor will remember, while seeking to 
make the school as efficient as possible, that being 
but a man, "weak like the wisest/' his word will 
not always be accepted as law — and ought not to 
be. Knowing that he can govern most success- 
fully where love is the ruling principle, he will 
seek to establish fraternal relations between him- 
self and the officers of the school. Studiously 
avoiding collision with them as a body, he will 
strive to preserve mutual good feeling, "even with 
those against whose negligence or inefficiency he 



The Pastor's Place. 145 



may be compelled to protest." Foreseeing the 
evils of a house divided against itself, he will 
neither excite antagonisms nor foster them by ill- 
advised expressions of opinion. In the well-chosen 
words of Bishop Peck, of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church: "He will treat all, teachers as well as 
officers, with the utmost tenderness and respect; 
but he will see that every man is in his place, and 
carefully observe the manner in which all the 
work is done. By his tender, vigilant, unpretend- 
ing scrutiny, he will prepare himself to make pri- 
vate suggestions or remarks, calling attention to 
radical defects and noticeable excellences. This 
he should do not in an intrusive way, not in a cen- 
sorious or haughty spirit, but as a loving friend ; 
not timidly, deprecatingly, as though he were act- 
ing out of his proper sphere— not asking permis- 
sion to be the pastor of this precious flock, nor 
asking freedom from a good shepherd's care — but 
exerting all the influence of a divinely appointed 
overseer, in the loving tenderness and calm assur- 
ance which a man ought to feel and manifest when 
he is performing a delicate duty in his own proper 
right/' 

Special qualification for this work is neces- 
sary. The fact that a man is invested by the 
Church with pastoral prerogatives ought to be 
sufficient guarantee of his ability to exercise them 
10 



146 Officers and Teachers. 



wisely. But taking things as we find them, it must 
be admitted that preachers, competent enough else- 
where, often display masterly inability in the Sun- 
day-school department. The plain, unvarnished 
truth is, there are some who never had any Sun- 
day-school training worth mentioning — who per- 
haps never saw what might be called a first-class 
Sunday-school ; others who, absorbed in what they 
conceive to be the discharge of higher obligations, 
complacently roll the burden of responsibility 
upon certain Sunday-school workers — or certain, 
by a stretch of courtesy, so called — and afterward 
give themselves precious little concern about it. 
But, all the same, whether from innocent ineffi- 
ciency or criminal indifference, irreparable losses 
are sustained, incalculable damage done. Golden 
opportunities for the exercise of ministerial influ- 
ence go to waste, the confidence of earnest souls is 
shaken, and their sympathy and love for the pas- 
tor suffer serious abatement. The preacher who 
shuts his eyes against the claims which the Sun- 
day-school cause makes upon him for deep solici- 
tude and personal service need not wonder if his 
well-meant but professional suggestions do not find 
prompt acceptance, or if his fitful attempts to 
" manage things" be resented as an impertinence. 
What Sunday-school workers want, and what they 
have a right to expect, is pastoral aid and encour- 



The Pastor's Place. 147 



agement — not pragmatic intermeddling in the 
small details of the sehool-room. 

Experts Wanted. — As in mining, manufact- 
uring, farming, and other like affairs, just so in 
Sunday-school work : it is required of an overseer 
that he be an expert in the business. Every pas- 
tor ought to qualify himself for this work by care- 
ful study of its theory and close observation of 
its processes and results, precisely as he does in 
the matter of pulpit discourse.* But how few 
seem to think so! And how many fail of more 
abundant results in their ministry for this very 
reason! There is no use in disguising the fact 
that complaints, not loud but deep and wide- 
spread, are being brought by earnest Sunday- 
school workers against pastors who do not think 
it worth while to prepare themselves for hearty, 
practical, cooperative efforts in this sphere. Sun- 
day-school pastors are needed — badly needed ; and 
it is the immediate duty of every minister of the 
gospel to qualify himself for effective service in 
this relation. Hearty recognition and a warm 
welcome await every master-workman in this de- 
lightful field. *Here, oftener than elsewhere, he 

* Theologues, whether in the seminary, biblical school, 
or "Brush College," should be required to take a course 
of study in pedagogics as well as homiletics and hermeneu- 
tics. Such is already the case in some theological schools. 



148 Officers and Teachers. 



will be cheered by the harvest-song of joy. That 
astute observer, Bishop McTyeire, said recently, in 
addressing a Conference of Methodist preachers: 
" I find the best pastors on the best terms with the 
Sunday-schools. I find a man very injurious to 
them who visits them once a year, and then, by 
his own influence, to destroy peace and create a 
great deal of disquietude." There was a broad 
hint for some brother. 

In the School-room.* — The pastor should 
be a regular attendant, and so thoroughly familiar 
with both members and methods as to feel perfect- 
ly at home while there. A preacher ill at ease in 
the presence of his school — frightened at the pros- 
pect of being required, or worse, refusing when 
called upon to assist otherwise than by reading or 
praying — is a ridiculous spectacle more frequently 
witnessed than might be supposed. Worst of all 
is it for the preacher to be suspected of skulking 
in the rear of occasion, filling an ignominious ap- 
pointment — taking care of himself. If he does 
not attend, the school has a right to know the rea- 
son why; and a live pastor will not be slow in 
furnishing an explanation. 

He should not allow himself to be 
elected superintendent. Even if the duties 
of the office temporarily devolve upon him, he should 

*See also Chapter I., Part Seventh. 



The Pastor's Place. 149 



have a lay brother elected and put under training. 
Few men, however willing and efficient, have the 
physical strength adequate to the demands of both 
desk and pulpit. Both the agent and the work 
are likely to suffer. If the pastor can stand it, the 
people cannot. A one-man power is good enough 
as far as it goes ; a wise division of labor is much 
better for all concerned. He should be upon such 
friendly and intimate terms with officers and teach- 
ers as to give them the full benefit of his experi- 
ence and observations without the semblance of 
usurpation. If he would exercise the largest in- 
fluence, let him represent the power behind the 
throne, even though it be ever so much greater 
than the throne itself. If he sustain the proper 
relation to the superintendent, he can discharge 
every pastoral duty without trenching upon the 
prerogatives of others. In truth, where one su- 
perintendent finds cause to protest against offi- 
ciousness, one hundred complain of pastoral negli- 
gence and indifference. Let the administration be 
such a hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder enter- 
prise as shall inspire confidence, unity, and power 
in the school, and banish the thought of petty 
jealousies and contemptible competitions. 

He should not take charge of a class 
as a regular teacher. His services belong to the 
school as a whole, and not to a select few in " the 



150 Officers and Teachers. 



Bible class." He should not be confined to the 
"amen corner" when he could be more profitably 
employed elsewhere. Give him such liberty as 
will enable him to observe the conduct of every 
class and the capacity of each teacher. He is 
then in position to render specific assistance where 
most needed ; or, which is quite as much to the 
purpose, and quite too seldom undertaken, let 
him visit the classes in rotation — taking one, and 
only one, each Sabbath. Promiscuous visiting, 
hand-shaking, conversations, and inquiries about 
"the folks," during the session, are so manifestly 
out of place that even a newly fledged "parson," 
much less a pastor, need hardly be cautioned 
against the impropriety. 

An Exception. — Where there are persons 
who cannot be brought into the school or held by 
any other than the pastor, he may be justified in 
taking this class; but he should in that event set 
about finding or training some one to act as his 
assistant, with a view to taking his place as soon 
as practicable. 

He should, with the consent of the superin- 
tendent, conduct the weekly and month- 
ly reviews occasionally; frequently, if 
that officer lacks facility or purpose. Special ar- 
rangements should be entered into for quarterly 
reviews and other catechetical exercises. It is in 



The Pastor's Place. 151 



some such way as this that the school is to be 
brought to a practical and grateful recognition of 
the pastor as a wise supervisor and a loving teach- 
er-in-chief. He, on the other hand, while putting 
the fidelity of his subordinates to the final test, 
should be keenly alive to every appearance of spir- 
itual awakening — the dawning of the Christ-life 
in the souls of the scholars. God help us, how neg- 
ligent we have been in this particular! 



152 Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER II. 
SEBVING THE SCHOOL FEOM THE PULPIT.* 

Sunday-school independence has been 
sharply condemned, and the non-attendance of 
children at preaching loudly deplored. Are pas- 
tors blameless touching these undesirable condi- 
tions? In all fairness, has there not been just a 
little too much pulpit independence? — rather less 
attention paid to the Sunday-school than was its 
due? If Sunday-school work is Church-work, it 
should receive full recognition as such ; and pastors 
are the men by whom that much-to-be-desired re- 
sult is chiefly to be brought about. Silence in the 
pulpit is less expressive of sympathy than of abso- 
lute disregard; and silence respecting this work is, 
unfortunately, the habit of a great many preach- 
ers. They mean no harm, but harm comes, be- 
cause any interest they may feel lacks practical 
expression in a powerful way. Their attitude is 
that of spectators rather than actors. As one 
writer strikingly observes: "They do not throw 
themselves heartily into the movement; they 
catch no inspiration from it; they give no in- 
spiration to it." And there is a fruitful source of 
distrust, of discontent, of inharmonious relations 
generally. 

*For pastor's week-day work, see Chapter IV., Part Sixth. 



Serving the School from the Pulpit. 153 



What may the pastor in his pulpit do 
for his Sunday-school ? 

1. He may make it his custom to pray for the 
school in the hearing of the congregation. In this 
way "indorsing before the court of Heaven " the 
efforts and petitions of the officers and teachers as 
sub-pastors of the flock, he gives them influence 
among men. There are places where such a prayer 
would send to many faithful hearts a thrill of 
pleasure long unknown. 

2. He may regularly, and with equal reason, 
remind the congregation of the hour for the meet- 
ing of the school, just as he does of his prayer- 
meeting, quarterly-meeting, or his next "appoint- 
ment." If he should once in awhile invite every- 
body to attend ; if he should even go off into an 
earnest exhortation on the duty of the people 
to study the Bible in the Sunday-school as a means 
of grace — of parents to help the children in the 
preparation of the lesson — and should speak of 
the beautiful adaptation of the " home-readings " 
to family worship, and such like things, would 
there not be a revival interest excited, a moving 
of the dry-bones in many a valley of spiritual 
death? Yea, verily. A most competent witness 
testifies : " We know men who have thus increased 
the attendance at their schools over seventy-five 
per cent, in a few weeks." A man, brother preach- 



154 Officers and Teachers. 



er, never knows what he can do till he tries. Have 
you ever tried this plan? 

3. He may frequently make the subject of the 
lesson the theme of his sermon ; and at other times 
may allude to it, or use it in the way of illustra- 
tion. Has any preacher who has adopted this 
method been disappointed in the result? We 
have never heard of one. When we do, we shall 
distrust the man first. People who have given a 
week's thought to a subject are more likely to be 
interested in that than any other. 

4. He may, by shaping his sermons to that end, 
secure to the school a corps of officers and teach- 
ers from the best material of his congregation. 
He may also in the same way — by preaching on 
special features of their work, or making frequent 
allusion to it — quicken and train them to a con- 
stantly increasing appreciation of its importance. 
In both numbers and interest some schools are 
shamefully deficient, and their pastors are as pro- 
foundly silent in the pulpit concerning the matter 
as if they were forbidden by law to mention it. 
The congregations are large, the schools disgrace- 
fully small. The material for improvement is as 
ample as the room. One of two things is evident, 
the pastors are powerless or purposeless. In either 
event, the case is bad enough. Plain dealing from 
the pulpit is the only remedy for some ills the 



The Pastor's Place. 155 



school is heir to. If it secures proper attention 
there, it is not apt to suffer neglect elsewhere. The 
converse has in it more of truth than poetry. 
Give a wide-awake pastor material, time, and el- 
bow-room, and he will have a good Sunday-school, 
even though he may have to walk in the footsteps 
of a dozen failures, and disappoint the evil ex- 
pectations of every prophet in the neighborhood. 
The pulpit is the pastor's throne of power. If 
he thinks so little of a cause as to refuse to ad- 
vocate it there, he need not be trusted with its 
interests abroad. How much pastors may do for 
the Sunday-school by pulpit work remains to 
be seen. The matter has never been sufficiently 
tested. 

An illustration may serve a good purpose 
here. It was a large and intelligent city congre- 
gation — the superintendent an influential business 
man. He needed teachers — had tried to get them 
by personal solicitations, and had failed. He 
chalked in large letters upon his blackboard, "A 
Sunday-school dying for want of teachers," and 
put it out in the vestibule. Every worshiper who 
came that Sunday morning saw it. The pastor saw 
it ; he was grieved in his heart as he told the people 
from the pulpit. He was a man of sense, and he 
said that blackboard was a disgrace. He likewise 
said that it should stay right where it was until the 



156 Officers and Teachers. 



school was supplied with teachers. And they came 
promptly. 

5. He may preach to the children and young 
people. Just when and how this is to be done the 
pastor, with a knowledge of himself and his sur- 
roundings, must decide. That it may and ought to 
be done by every pastor is what is here most posi- 
tively insisted upon. Whether the modern pulpit 
is losing its hold upon the young is a mooted ques- 
tion. This one thing is certain, it never has taken 
hold upon them as it might, because it never has 
tried as it ought. And, so far as the observation 
of this writer goes, the men who complain loudest 
of juvenile desertion have on this very ground 
least right to prefer charges. Leaving out of 
view the personal attentions that serve to attract 
and attach young people to the pastor, the plain 
question is, By what means may the pulpit extend 
its influence among them ? If we should say by 
preaching to them, the answer would not be very 
wide of the mark; for in reply to the further 
question, How are we to get them to come? it 
would not be at all unreasonable to simply say, 
Preach well to those you have. 



Preaching to Children. 157 



CHAPTER III. 

PKEACHING TO CHILDKEN. 

Preaching to children — in which class we in- 
clude all young people against whom complaint 
of non-attendance is lodged — is one of those things 
few preachers will undertake. The only reason 
assigned is, "I can't." Look at it fairly and square- 
ly — "J cant yi Now turn to the pastoral commis- 
sion, with the blood-red seal of the Son of God 
upon it. What are its terms ? " Feed my lambs 
— my sheep — teach all nations; preach to every 
creature" A man may "preach" with the elo- 
quence of Apollos — if he does not feed "the little 
ones," to that extent he is a failure as a pastor. 
Many, if not most, of those who say " I cannot " 
have not tried. With a failure duly provided for 
from the outset, much like going light security on a 
doubtful case to purchase cheap exemption in fut- 
' ure, beyond a timid experiment or two they have 
not ventured. Some there are who have never 
made a single effort — one-talent men, afraid to try. 
A man who really cannot, after fair trial, preach 
to children is seriously disqualified for pulpit-work 
of any sort. That is stating the case mildly. His 
ministry in that respect is defective from begin- 
ning to end. No man with a true pastor's heart 
can confess so great a disability without at least 



158 Officers and Teachers. 



an inward blush. That this occurs with most who 
say such things, the writer steadfastly believes. 
A doubt here would project its gloomy shadow over 
much that is dear in the sunlit fields of faith. So 
we hold to this: that most ministers mean, "I 
could if I would only try hard enough ; and would 
certainly try if I saw the necessity." It would be 
idle to suggest the privilege as a motive, while yet 
the more palpable necessity is unperceived ; they go 
hand in hand.* 

The following from Dr. Broadus, author of 
" Preparation and Delivery of Sermons," is to the 
point: "If a man says,-' I cannot preach to chil- 
dren/ says it perhaps proudly, as thinking him- 
self too intellectual or too erudite, too grand a 
piece of artillery to be used in shooting sparrows, 
or says it with a sort of obstinate humility, then 
this at least may be replied, If you will learn how 
to preach to children, you will thereby become a 
better preacher to grown folks. Whatever may be 
a man's turn of mind, taste, methods, or audience, 
he will be more efficient from having sometimes 
preached to children. Preachers are often obliged 
to resist current tendencies, the fashion of the day ; 
but here is an idea of our age which they are en- 

* Lofty pulpit service has been objected to on the ground 
that the command is to feed, not giraffes, but lambs and 
sheep. 



Preaching to Children. 159 



tirely at liberty to fall in with — special Church 
effort for the children." 

We take this to be true, that the best pas- 
tors and, speaking broadly, the best preachers can 
preach to children. Furthermore, that among the 
very best are those who do preach to them. " Noth- 
ing," says Dr. Cuyler, "delights me so much as to 
have a child talk to me about my sermons; for I 
have tried to adhere to a fixed rule — never to de- 
liver a discourse which did not contain at least 
something in it which would attract and take hold 
of every average child in the house. Why is it 
that so many ministers of Christ forget Christ's 
own example in making truth simple, picturesque, 
and intelligible to the young and ignorant?" Is 
it not from a lack of moral courage rather than 
intellectual endowments? Is it not that "men are 
very long afraid of being natural, for fear of being 
taken as ordinary?" 

An Experience. — In a recent Church-paper 
a preacher,* concluding an article on this subject 
with his personal experience, says: "After seven 
years as a pastor, without ever having attempted 
to preach a special sermon to children, but with 
the duty much upon our conscience, we began this 
work. We opened our heart to the little ones of 
our flock, and asked them to both pray for us and 

* W. W. Wordsworth, North Georgia Conference. 



160 Officers and Teachers. 



have patience with us, and we would try to learn 
how to preach the gospel to them. One of the 
hardest struggles of our ministerial life was in get- 
ting our consent to stand up before a large Sabbath- 
morning congregation and begin that first sermon 
to the children. But with the triumph came the 
blessing. As imperfect as was the message, from 
beginning to end it was crowned with the power of 
the Holy Ghost. It had cost us much in many 
ways, but it was the most delightful preaching of 
all our experience. During the three years that 
have followed, every service which we have held 
has been signally blessed of God in the most gra- 
cious results. We do not see now how we could 
get along in our work without the ' children's day/ 
The revivals in our charge have always begun 
here — the only proper place, it seems to us, for them 
to begin. A revival that brings in adults and 
does not save the children is abnormal. The fact 
is, that with such a regular monthly service it is 
not hard to keep the fire burning through the en- 
tire year. It is also a sure cure for formalism." 

Mark the last statement. Is it true? Who that has 
not tested the matter can deny it? Who that feels 
the need and will not try the remedy is blameless ? 

It Pays. — If he fights most wisely who fights 
where most is to be won, the sagacious minister 
will not be slow to discover the importance of 



Preaching to Children. 161 



bringing his forces to bear upon this point. In 
his " Forty Years' Experience in Sunday-schools," 
Dr. Tyng, speaking of labor bestowed upon the 
young, says : " I desire to record my testimony as 
the result of my whole experience, that, in my 
judgment, there is no department of Christian 
labor more vitally influential upon the triumphs 
of the gospel, more remunerative in its immediate 
results upon the soul engaged, more effective in 
maintaining and enlarging the best interests of the 
Christian Church, and the most efficient operation 
of the Christian ministry A Christ- 
loving pastor will be always a child-loving pastor. 
A real victory over a young heart is a castle for 
your life. Pray for the young. Pray with them 
in language perfectly simple, in terms expressive. 
Lay aside your grandeur, and be yourselves little 
children with them. They will cling to the knees 
which have bent with them before the throne. 
And if you are truly faithful in it, you will get in 
the affection and faithfulness of the young of your 
flock a most abundant reward." 

More than fifty ministers have gone out from 
Dr. Tyng's Sunday-school, and among them are 
some of the most prominent in the land. Being 
asked to what he attributed the wonderful success 
attending his ministry, he replied, "Personal at- 
tention to my Sabbath-school." 
11 



162 Officers and Teachers. 



Clearing the Way. — If an apology be re- 
quired for the plain terms employed in the treat- 
ment of this matter, let it be understood that this 
is only our way of saying amen to a sentiment thus 
expressed by the author of " Our Children : " " It 
would be a right worthy thing if godly ministers, 
and fathers and mothers, would lend a hand to 
clear away the ecclesiastical rubbish, heaped up 
by the drift of centuries, that confronts, and hin- 
ders, and dismays our children as they seek the 
Lord. Would God we could strike one good blow 
to clear the way for their little feet ! " 

Holding this to be a cardinal principle of the 
gospel, that " the normal Christian life begins in 
childhood," and that " all who are converted later 
are born out of due time," we again say amen. 

Hints as to Methods. — 1. Sermons prepared 
especially for children at regular intervals. 2. Short 
discourses delivered to them in advance of the 
main sermon, a hymn being sung at the close, and 
very small children dismissed. 3. The introduc- 
tion into every morning sermon of something ex- 
pressly for the young, and specifically addressed to 
them. We give preference to the latter, if one 
method is to be employed, and seriously object to 
any other, if thereby this feature be lost from the 
principal sermon. In every such service at least 
one good Sunday-school hymn should be sung. 



The Superintendent. 163 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE SUPEKINTENDENT. 

His Place. — By virtue of official relation, the 
pastor of a Church ranks first in point of influ- 
ence. The man who to-day stands next to him in 
this particular is the Sunday-school superintend- 
ent. Local exceptions in either case serve to 
confirm the rule. It will be found upon proper 
examination that the duties required of a superin- 
tendent lie within the broad field of pastoral ob- 
ligation. What then is his official relation to the 
pastor? Shorn of all superfluous distinctions, this 
is perhaps as satisfactory a statement as can be 
given in a few words: The superintendent of a 
Church school is the pastor's first assistant. This 
brings us at once to the most favorable stand-point 
for further investigations. Applying the pastoral 
standard so familiar to all, results are easily reached 
in a series of problems which, treated independ- 
ently, impose tedious processes, with liabilities to 
error increasing at every step. For example, 

What should be the general character 
and qualifications of a superintendent? 
Minutely treated, a chapter would hardly suffice 
for a reply to that question. By the method pro- 
posed, it may be answered in one brief sentence: 
He should be in head, in heart, and in life, the 



164 Officers and Teachers. 



counterpart of a true pastor — as good a man, and 
in his sphere as capable. Again, 

In what manner and spirit should 
the duties of a superintendent be per- 
formed ? The answer is at hand : Precisely as 
we should expect those duties to be performed by 
the pastor if he were acting in his own proper per- 
son, instead of through a subordinate agent of the 
Church committed to his care. In replying to the 
question, 

What are the duties of a superintend- 
ent ? a detailed account is of course more neces- 
sary ; and yet, in the longest list possible, not one 
item could be legitimately enjoined upon him that 
might not, with equal propriety, be required of the 
pastor in the absence of a superintendent.* 

Who should be chosen superintend- 
ent ? Briefly, the very best man in the commu- 
nity. 

1. Not, perhaps, the most popular man; not the 
one who might be the first choice of a dozen incon- 
siderate people by reason of his ability to draw a 
larger crowd than any one else. Moral character 

"* Dr. Tyng, taking high grounds on this subject, stren- 
uously insists upon every settled pastor superintending his 
own school. Many pastors are doing that very thing, 
week by week, because they are unwilling to intrust so 
important a matter to incompetent hands. 



The Superintendent. 165 



must be taken into account. " Do men gather 
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? " 

2. Not the oldest member of the Church for 
what he lias done, and because he is "safe." There 
is work ahead, and you want somebody to do it. 
Old age and safety are well enough, but they do 
not count for much when we want a house built, 
a meadow mowed, a cause defended at the bar — 
and when, moreover, we expect to pay for the serv- 
ice rendered. We go for the best man to do the 
particular thing we want done. Other things be- 
ing equal, age and experience are a decided advan- 
tage. But the selection and continuation in this 
office of superannuated men, simply because their 
juniors "hate to go against them," has crippled 
many a school and killed many another. " Old 
men for counsel, young men for war," is a maxim 
that should find guarded application here. Young 
superintendents, not boys, are usually most success- 
ful, because they combine activity, enthusiasm, and 
joyousness with a positively essential sympathy for 
the young people; while they, on the other hand, 
regard such superintendents as nearer to them, 
more congenial and more approachable. If young 
men are cheerfully accepted, often deliberately 
chosen, as pastors, we see no reason why competent 
subordinates might not be developed from the same 
class. Their aptness to mistakes will be more than 



(66 Officers and Teachers. 



counterbalanced by their superior energy in trying 
to do the right things. 

3. Not the "smartest" man, nor yet, perhaps, 
the saintliest; for the shrewdness of the one com- 
bined with a strong unsanctified character may 
make him a bold but dangerous leader, while with 
all his piety, the other may be so lacking in indi- 
viduality as to be no leader at all. Mere goodness, 
religion, devotion, call it what you will, can no 
more make a man an efficient superintendent than 
mere patriotism can make him an able commander 
of brigade. 

4. Not the man who will probably quit the 
school if not elected, nor that other man who has 
not joined you, and will not unless he be allowed 
to " boss " things. Let the one depart in peace, and 
the other remain under his own vine and fig-tree. 
Neither is fit for the office. If any man insists on 
being hurt by non-election, and it is manifestly to 
the interest of the school that he be thus afflicted, 
why, hurt him at once and have done with it. 
"Better hurt any man than hurt the school" by 
pandering to his inordinate ambition. 

5. Not the man who is nearest at hand, who 
does n't care either way, whose chief recommenda- 
tion is attainability. To elect him on the spur of 
the moment, just to get somebody and save the 
trouble of looking farther, would be to dispatch a 



The Superintendent. 167 



very serious piece of business with an indecent, not 
to say scandalous, haste. The superintendency of 
a Sunday-school is an office of trust, imposing grave 
responsibilities — even the care of souls. The man 
who doesn't care is an irresponsible man. His 
kind have done immense mischief in the Church. 
The Sunday-school has suffered its full share. Do 
not add to its humiliation by electing this man. 
If, by taking the trouble to look farther, there is 
a bare possibility of securing the services of some 
one, man or woman, who will care, then, by all 
that is sacred, you are bound to take the trouble. 
A careless superintendent is a curse to any school. 
Let the Church seek for and call persons to this 
office with serious concern closely akin to that 
shown in securing a good man for preacher in 
charge. Now, 

Who should be chosen to this office? 
We answer: Above all others, the man combining 
such qualities of head and heart as make him the 
fittest representative of a true pastor. One who, 
in the absence of the pastor, might with most pro- 
priety be called upon to perform any and every 
service required of a pastor. He is the best man 
in the community for Sunday-school superintend- 
ent. Elect him. He may be lacking in some 
particulars — in many. He may not be a perfect 
man "in physical appearance or health, in intel- 



168 Officers and Teachers, 



lectual endowment or culture, in temporal circum- 
stances or prospects, in spiritual attainments or 
profession, in professional ability or reputation." 
There may be more popular men than he is, 
smarter men, older members of the Church, louder 
professors, men more anxious for the office, " bolder 
men, and men that dress better, and have more 
money, and have seen more of the world," but this 
one we speak of will make you a superintendent 
that no one dare laugh at, or scoff at, or scold at, 
or defy.* He is the best man in the community 
for the position. 

In every Christian community there 
is just such a man as the one described. 
Not an impossible character, but one of the peo- 
ple, a reputable member of the Church, a law- 
abiding citizen who respects the Sabbath, who re- 
veres the gospel of Christ, who has the good of his 
friends and neighbors at heart, and who on these 
accounts stands preeminent among them. This 
man ought to be superintendent. Unite upon him ; 
urge the matter upon him, and at last, if it is at 
all possible for him to attend the school, with or 
without his consent you had better elect him. The 
service of many a man, conscious of the Spirit's 
call to duty, yet distrusting his ability and shrink- 
ing from the cross, has been lost to the Church be- 

* The Study. 



The Superintendent. 169 



cause his brethren have failed to repeat that call 
in an emphatic way. Some of the truest heralds 
that ever proclaimed salvation to dying men were 
commissioned by the Church in advance of their 
own application for license. 

No man for superintendent ? There is 
not a place on God's green earth where he has a 
Church, and where he requires a Sunday-school, 
without having provided some one to superintend 
it. And there is not a Church in all this broad 
land of Bibles which says "We ought to have a 
Sunday-school " that is not guilty before God if, on 
the false plea of " no superintendent," it refuses to 
organize a school. There is not a member of that 
Church who in his heart says "We ought" but 
shares the penalty if he stifles that conviction with 
such a plea, not having used all diligence to effect 
an organization. Whether he may be able to at- 
tend in person or not, is of little consequence. 
There are some who could and would who are 
waiting for the Church to open the way. " We 
ought" — that settles the matter. It is God work- 
ing in men to will and to do of his own good pleas- 
ure; it is a blending of God's gracious purpose and 
man's imminent need in one grand, imperative 
" ought." As we hope for divine favor, and look 
for the final redemption of the world, let us stop 
deceiving dying men and insulting God with the 



170 Officers and Teachers. 



declaration that in a congregation of his people, 
called by the name of Christ, and professing to be 
his followers, there cannot be found a man or wom- 
an with sense and religion enough to go before the 
people in the simple exercises of a Sunday-school. 
None fit for superintendent ? None willing ? And 
a Church of God, with the life of the self-sacrific- 
ing Christ-spirit in it? Believe it who will. This 
w r riter prefers to cherish the opinion that wherever 
God prompts men to say "We ought to have a 
Sunday-school " there he also provides some one to 
superintend it. Does he call men to the pulpit 
ministry, to the mission-fields of China, India, 
Mexico, Brazil, and fail of supplying a leader for 
the humbler service of the Sunday-school? The 
Church that needs a superintendent may always 
find him, if they will. 

Who should elect the superintendent ? 
As stated elsewhere, if the work is to be done un- 
der the supervision of a particular Church, the 
official representatives of that congregation should 
choose the person to whom it is to be intrusted, 
the right of nomination being accorded the pastor. 
The propriety of a previous conference with the 
teachers is manifest.* But, however accomplished, 
we insist upon this: where a school is needed, let 

*The next best thing is election by the teachers; by the 
whole school, the very worst 



The Superintendent. 171 



immediate steps be taken to secure the very best 
man for the position, and manifest the sincerity of 
your convictions by electing him. If he assumes 
the responsibility of refusing, elect the next best 
man. If he also refuse, because he was not first 
choice, you have probably been deceived in his 
character, and have made a lucky escape. So pro- 
ceed until you find a man who is willing to try ; 
then stand by him. He may not do things to suit 
you altogether, but you can most surely bring 
about improvement by giving him the hearty sup- 
port to which he is justly entitled during his term 
of office. If he be chosen by the Church, through 
its official members, the moral and material sup- 
port of that Church is pledged, and good faith re- 
quires that it be rendered. 



172 Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER V. 
CONCERNING "OUR SUPERINTENDENT."* 

In a recent number of The Study, there ap- 
peared, from the hand of a master, a true to life 
pen-portrait of this officer in his best moods and 
most important engagements. We are sure the 
glimpses here afforded will win for him the admi- 
ration of every reader. The hope is indulged that 
some who occupy a similar position may find the 
worthy example of "Our Superintendent " stimu- 
lating and helpful: 

"1 He has good sense and a good 

heart. He loves his work, and wishes he could 
perform it better; and would be very willing to 
resign it if he had evidence that it would be better 
for the school that he should do so. [' Their su- 
perintendent ' got angry at something that went 
wrong a few Sundays ago, and threatened to re- 
sign, and said — ever so many ugly things.] 

"2. Our superintendent tries to improve. He 
subscribes for The Study, and The Times, and The 
Teacher. He studies the Journal, and reads the 
1 Lesson Commentary' in the Magazine, and at- 
tends institutes, assemblies, and normal classes, 

*By permission of the author, Dr. J. H. Vincent. The 
article from which we quote will shortly appear in book 
form. Interpolations in brackets [ ] are the present writer's. 



Concerning " Our Superintendent." 173 



whenever he can. He thinks that other peo- 
ple may know some things that he has not yet 
learned, and that they may have good plans 
which he has never adopted, and of which he 

has not yet heard He puts himself 

Avhere he may be ' stirred up' by other people's 
experience and speculations. He ponders what 
he hears and reads. He discusses all new sugges- 
tions, and draws out people whose judgment he 
values; and while he does not make haste to adopt 
a new plan, he does not discard it because it is 
new and different from any thing he has ever done 
and thought. [' Their superintendent' doesn't 
study any thing much except the Republican- 
Democrat to keep up with the times, and the al- 
manac to keep up with the weather. He says 
' these Sunday-school conventions are a humbug.'] 
"3. Our superintendent tries to be a practical 
example of what he expects or desires in his 
school. He wants his teachers and scholars to be 
punctual; so he is punctual. He loves in them 
good order, self-control, attention, sympathy, pa- 
tience, studiousness, enthusiastic love of the school. 
He therefore says little about what he loves, but 
shows his taste, preference, delight, and desire, by 
the most effective way. He tries to be a specimen. 
. . . . His being is better than bell-ringing 
and lecturing. The plainest proof of a doctrine 



174 Officers and Teachers. 



is the practice of it. Thus our superintendent 
governs by example. [' Their superintendent' does 
not govern at all — he bosses and blusters.] 

"4. Our superintendent is in charge of his 
school seven days a week. He has it on his brain, 
and on his conscience, and on his heart all the time. 
He begins his Sunday-school work on Sunday 
morning before he gets out of bed, and keeps at it 
until the following Saturday night. He dreams 
about it when he sleeps. In the place of secret 
prayer, at the table, on the street-car, in his shop, 
on the street, he is a Sunday-school superintendent, 

praying, planning, practicing Being 

so full of Sunday-school work week-days, he gets a 
heavy pressure on by Sunday, and less wise men 
w T ith such a 'head' of knowledge would flow too 
freely and too long during the Sunday-school ses- 
sion. [' Their superintendent' has a serious at- 
tack of it once a week — spasms, beginning about 
half-past the hour for school to open — entirely re- 
lieved by air and exercise an hour later.] But, 

" 5. Our superintendent knows how to keep still 
and when to stop. He does not pour forth every 

speech that tickles his brain He holds 

his tongue and brain in subjection. He never 
speaks too often nor says too much. His teachers 
and pupils and visitors wish he would say more ; 
but he is a man of few words, and these are always 



Concerning " Our Superintendent." 175 



to the point, and well chosen and full of wisdom, 
and the multitude of unspoken thoughts back of 
them give them power. [' Their superintendent' 
overheard one of the boys ' wishing they had a 
deaf and dumb man to run the school/ and he is 
wondering to this day what put such a notion in 
that youngster's head.] 

" 6. Our superintendent is a religious man. He 
believes the Bible to be divine. He believes this 
with his heart. He is neither weakly credulous 
nor skeptical. He is free from fanaticism, and is 
full of faith. He hates sin and loves righteous- 
ness. There is no soft sentimentality about his 
piety. He has no 'put on' tones. He does not 
talk about 'dear Jesus' after the sickly manner of 
some. To him Jesus is a reality, a person, a pres- 
ence, a marvelous power. He believes in him, 
loves him, lives for him, represents him in all up- 
rightness of life, purity of speech, and consistency 
of example. The scholars say that they never 
thought of Jesus being so practical and gentle- 
manly, and great-hearted and unselfish, as he has 
seemed since they knew our superintendent. . . . 
He has one thought deeper, stronger, more con- 
stantly present, than any other ; it is apparently 
embodied in this question: How shall I be like 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make my teachers and 
scholars like him. ['Their superintendent' is a 



176 Officers and Teachers. 



Christian — but he always has some one else to lead 
the school in prayer.] 

"7. Our superintendent does not organize his 
school to death. He believes in organization, but 
he believes also in freedom. He has an aim, a 
general plan, a fixed purpose, much zeal, and de- 
pends upon the general influence of these forces 

for success in his work He depends a 

great deal upon the common sense of the people. 
.... He avoids the puerilities which many su- 
perintendents adopt ; and while his general plans 
may be easily understood by the little people, there 
is nothing in their simplicity which to the mature 
scholar savors of silliness. He believes that sim- 
plicity may comport with dignity, and that child- 
likeness is a very different thing from childishness. 
['Their superintendent * says he believes in making 
a school ' toe the mark/ He stands by the consti- 
tution and by-laws — as contained in the records 
of year before last] 

"8. Our superintendent knows the power of the 

press He insists on the use of papers 

and books in his school. He sets his own will 
strongly in this direction. In his own mild but 
firm way he talks about the * absolute necessity' 
of putting a paper every week into the hands of 
every pupil. He believes that we cannot do in 
one hour on the Sabbath the whole work of in- 



Concerning " Our Superintendent." 177 



struction that is demanded by the Sabbath-school. 
Nor does he stop at periodicals. He is a firm be- 
liever in good books, and in the Sunday-school as 
a center for a good circulating library in the com- 
munity By furnishing a large supply 

of reading-matter he preoccupies the spare time of 
the pupils through the week, and prevents the pur- 
chase by them of the weak and silly trash which 
is now so largely patronized, the tendency of which 
is to defeat the very objects contemplated by the 
Sabbath-school. [' Their superintendent' says he 
is not going to waste any more money on books ; 
some in the library now that have been there for 
years, and nobody ever thinks of reading them.] 

"9. Our superintendent has well studied the 
power of personal influence. He knows that the 
' hand-to-hand' work is worth a great deal more 
than merely public ministrations ; . . . . and 
in a quiet way he has committed nearly all of his 
pupils, at least those who are in especial need of 
such supervision, to the care of the best men and 
women in his Church. Each one of these unpub- 
lished class-leaders has a list of the names of the 
old boys and girls placed in his charge by this 
sharp-eyed, wise superintendent. [' Their super- 
intendent' thinks it would be an exhibition of 
weakness to ask others to assist him in this way. 
He does n't want to feel beholden to anybody.] 
12 



178 Officers and Teachers. 



"10. Our superintendent knows enough of hu- 
man nature to recognize the wisdom of the secular 
system of education, which draws sharp lines be- 
tween grades of pupils — assigning to one class the 
primary grade, to another the intermediate, to 
another the high school. He notices that in the 
last-named institution the principal addresses 
' young ladies ' and ' young gentleman ' not as 
' girls' and 'boys.' He sees that the songs, the 
drills, the recitations, and all the requirements of 
the place, are of a higher type than those em- 
ployed in the lower classes. In so many ways he 
imitates this wise policy of secular educators. 
. . . . [' Their superintendent' dotes on the 
■ nursery ' idea. He grades to keep the classes up 
to the regulation number, six ; infant class, thirty ; 
and is perplexed to know why so many 'do n't come 
any more.'] 

" 11. Our superintendent understands very well 
the power of home-life. .... He tries to 
link his school with the homes it represents. He 
sends out from his desk, by way of the several 
classes, imaginary telegraphic and telephonic lines 
which extend to every household. He prays for 
the parents of his scholars; he publicly reminds 
children of the Bible requirements concerning obe- 
dience to parents. Wherever, in the review of 
the lesson, it is possible to do so, he brings out the 



Concerning " Our Superintendent." 179 



religious duty of reverence and kindness at home. 
He reminds children of the trials and perplexities 
which their parents experience. In every possible 
way he seeks to build up in the hearts of his pu- 
pils a conscience touching their filial and fraternal 

duties He now and then asks the 

teachers if they become acquainted with these par- 
ents, and if they are in the habit of sending mes- 
sages to them by their scholars ; if they enter into 
their closet to pray for them. All these messages 
and ministries, reaching in so many ways, and 
so frequently, the ears of the parents, excite in 
them a general interest in the school, and a par- 
ticular interest in the superintendent. .... 
[' Their superintendent' sent a red-hot telegram 
not long ago, something like this: 'Your son 
Johnny is an awful bad boy; you must make him 
behave, or keep him at home.' He is going to 
'our school' now, and his teacher says he is 'as 
sharp as a brier.'] 

"12. Our superintendent understands the value 

of special opportunities He knows 

that when the community is suffering from ' hard 
times ' a friendly visit, to make inquiry about 'how 
matters are getting along with the family,' will do 
more toward winning both children and parents 
than a score of sermons in days of sunshine. He 
knows that when the boys and girls are ill, a little 



180 Officers and Teachers. 



attention will tell more than six months of ordi- 
nary teaching. [Every Sabbath, at the close of 
school, the secretary furnishes him with a list of 
scholars reported absent on account of sickness.] 
During the next week papers, pictures, choice lit- 
tle fragrant bouquets, motto-cards, and other re- 
minders of friendship and sympathy, go to these 

many homes Our superintendent's 

love is practical. It is a perpetual comment on 
the law of beneficence set forth in the gospel ; 
and when, in the lesson for the day, good works, 
charity, sympathy, usefulness, are directly or in- 
directly taught, the scholars all think of their su- 
perintendent, and more than one boy has said to 
another, ' That 's like our superintendent.' [' Their 
superintendent/ who has a real kind heart — which 
fact he seems determined to conceal — tells the 
preacher when he hears of a very sick scholar, 
and suggests that ' somebody ought to go and see 
about it.'] 

"13. Our superintendent knows the power of 

the pulpit He knows the measure of 

educational power in the Sunday-school, and he 
also knows that there are elements of power that 
the Sunday-school can never possess, and that 
some of these are found only in connection with the 
sanctuary. He therefore always talks as though 
it were as important for every little child to attend 



Concerning "Our Superintendent." 181 



the public service as to be in the primary or inter- 
mediate class. He announces the preaching. His 
teachers keep a record of all the scholars who at- 
tend preaching. He calls for the public recitation 
of the last text that was preached from by our 
minister. A particularly good point in the last 
sermon is sometimes repeated ,by our superintend- 
ent before the school. In Church he sits where he 
can watch the members of the school as they may 
be distributed through the congregation, and little 
improprieties of behavior are delicately reproved 

before the school or in private Our 

superintendent teaches the school to pray for the 

preacher And this goodly service on 

the part of the superintendent tells in many ways 
upon the preacher, the official board, and the con- 
gregation at large. It promotes the unity of the 
Church ; it promotes in silent ways spiritual pow- 
er; it gives strength to every department of 
Church-enterprise ; it avoids every thing like col- 
lision and rivalry between Church and school; it 
prevents apathy on the part of both. The pulpit 
and the superintendent's desk are very near each 
other in our superintendent's Church. [' Their su- 
perintendent ' says ' it 's all he can do to get them 
out to Sunday-school ; he does n't believe in keep- 
ing children in Church all day, anyhow.'] 

"14. Our superintendent knows the power of 



182 Officers and Teachers. 



the secular school He remembers that 

a large part of the trials which the average Sun- 
day-school scholar experiences comes in connec- 
tion with the discipline and task of the day-school ; 
that temptations to dishonesty, unfairness, discour- 
agement, revenge, are strewn all along the week, 
from Monday morning to Friday night. He re- 
members the power of education for good or evil ; 
the power of literary ambition ; the tendency of a 
certain kind of culture to weaken the faith of 
childhood in the divine origin of the Bible and 
the Church. He therefore studies the Sunday les- 
sons with his eyes open to the temptations and de- 
mands of every-day school life He talks 

to his school now and then about conscientious- 
ness in study, honesty in recitation, magnanimity 
and fairness on the play-ground, and sympathy to- 
ward their poor and less favored school-mates. 
[' Their superintendent' doesn't talk much of 
'outside matters.' He puts in most of his time 
' working up an interest.'] 

" 15. Our superintendent believes in the training 
of the children and youth of his school in habits 
of intelligent, practical, next-door, and world-wide 
benevolence. .... He thinks much over the 
problem, How can I inspire my pupils to resolve 
dreams into deeds, songs into service, love into 
life? .... Believing that charity begins at 



Concerning " Our Superintendent." 183 

home, he centers the education of his pupils upon 
this world rather than upon the New Jerusalem 

above He tells his pupils that the 

love of the gospel makes little people sympathetic 
and useful ; leads them to bear one another's bur- 
dens ; to remove father's and mother's anxiety ; to 
help stand by the abused and poor, and the w 7 eak, 
on the play-ground ; to sympathize with the unfort- 
unate rather than to ridicule them; to visit sick 
people, young and old; to offer their services in 
homely, practical ways ; and, in order to do all this, 
to deny themselves ease, luxury, self-indulgence in 

many little things In this way, our 

superintendent cultivates the home soil and the 
home seed, and thus prepares the seed-corn for the 
world-wide fields of the foreign missionary work. 
He broadens the thoughts of his school by present- 
ing the claims of Mexico, Brazil, China, India, 
and every other part of the globe. He brings be- 
fore his school maps, relics, pictures, letters from 
missionaries, living missionaries who are at home ; 
and by means also of missionary papers, maga- 
zines, and books, missionary concerts, essays, re- 
sponsive services, and songs, he makes the whole 
world center in his school-room; and in earnest 
prayer for tribes and tongues, he impresses his pu- 
pils with the idea that the race is one, redeemed 
by one Lord, invited to one heaven, bound by 



184 Officers and Teachers. 



cords of brotherhood to love and help each other, 
and thus connects the spirit of unselfish love at 
home with the necessities of the widest sphere of 
possible service abroad With the dis- 
tribution of papers and the giving of instruction 
through addresses, lectures, sermons, he connects a 
plan of systematic giving. Even the little chil- 
dren of the primary department give so many 
pennies every year to every department of Church 
benevolence He thus lays the foun- 
dation firm and broad for a Church-membership in 
the future that shall express the love they profess 
by usefulness to the objects of their sympathy near 
and remote. [' Their superintendent ' says it takes 
all he can squeeze out of his school to buy lesson 
literature; and that they owe him some now that 
he advanced last quarter 'to keep the thing a- 
going.'] 

"16. Our superintendent believes in the Holy 
Catholic Church. He belongs to one branch of it. 
Nobody doubts that. His name has been on the 

record of the Church for years He 

studies its denominational standards and usage. 
He knows he is one thing instead of being an- 
other; and everybody else knows this. He sub- 
scribes for his own Church-papers; he supplies his 
religious library with the publications of his own 
Church publishing house. Watching him through 



Concerning " Our Superintendent." 185 



the year, and seeing how devoted he is to his par- 
ticular denomination, a superficial observer might 
call him a bigot ; but a bigot he certainly is not. 
. . . . He is glad to stand side by side with 
brethren of other denominations in union meetings 
and with them sing and pray. He attends union 

Sunday-school conventions One of 

the strong arguments to his mind in favor of the 
international lesson system was the union of all 

denominations which is promoted He 

never seems to detect unfair sectarian policies. If 
some other superintendent acts shabbily for secta- 
rian reasons, our superintendent never seems to 
notice it. He goes on quietly, and loves on fer- 
vently, and in every case the other person has 

grow T n ashamed of his course He 

scorns little dodges and devices for building up 
his own school at the expense of other schools. 
. . . . He does not call other denominations 
his * neighbors' or ' second-cousins;' he calls them 
his 'brethren and sisters in Christ.' By this 
double conviction of his concerning the value of 
denominational loyalty and the glory of Catholic 
community, he trains his Sunday-school to be strong 
in itself, in its immediate denominational lines, 
and in its alliances with the whole Church of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. On the theory and by the 
policy of our superintendent, dissensions would 



186 Officers and Teachers. 



soon cease ; Christian people would come fairly 
to discuss together their points of difference, and 
rapidly and widely the kingdom of truth, right- 
eousness, and charity would extend in this world! 
God bless our superintendent." [And let all 
the people — including "their superintendent" — 
say, Amen.] 



Other Officers. 187 



CHAPTER VI. 
OTHER OFFICERS. 

How Chosen. — The superintendent, having 
been appointed by the Church to the care of its 
Sunday-school, should be allowed the privilege of 
selecting such persons as he shall judge most com- 
petent to assist him in managing the business. 
This is easiest ; it is best. Many difficulties which 
beset other methods of appointment are avoided. 
Besides, there is a positive gain in the greater uni- 
ty of purpose and harmony of operation which are 
thus secured. 

The assistant superintendent frequent- 
ly occupies a fifth-wheel relation — good in case of 
any accident which may threaten to bring every 
thing to a stand-still. He has a lonesome time of 
it until absence of the principal calls him to the 
front, when he is apt to exhibit a degree of awk- 
wardness and embarrassment not at all favorable 
to promotion in office. Every superintendent has 
a right to one or more assistants ; and every assist- 
ant has a right to a definite share of the work to 
be done every week. Let an apportionment be 
agreed upon between these officers, so that every 
detail may receive due attention, and the assistant 
become something more than a simple conveniency. 
But it must never be forgotten that the superin- 



188 Officers and Teachers. 



tendent is the chief executive in Sunday-school 
government. 

The secretary should be a man of good 
business habits — prompt, systematic, patient. The 
superintendent, in selecting this officer, will do 
well to consider whether he may not be able to 
bring into service in this capacity a valuable man 
who is not, and otherwise may not become, a mem- 
ber of the school. A good secretary exercises an 
important influence upon the school. He is more 
than a mere recorder of facts furnished. He is a 
shrewd observer as well — putting pastor and su- 
perintendent in possession of much useful infor- 
mation, and further assisting by wise suggestions. 
He is an educator in his department. He is quick 
to recognize carelessness and immethodical ways 
among the teachers, and both prompt and courte- 
ous in requiring conformity to well-established bus- 
iness principles. The right kind of a secretary is 
not only in name, but in fact, chief of depart- 
ment. He will give it careful attention in all its 
details of registration, classification, attendance, 
and correspondence. He will keep himself so in- 
formed as to be able to furnish at the moment any 
statistical facts required. He will not wait to be 
told by the superintendent what he ought to do. 
He will organize his own department. He will, if 
possible, know the name and residence of every 



Other Officers. 189 



scholar, and, watching with vigilant eye, will not 
permit scholars removing from the community to 
go without a certificate of membership — or dismis- 
sion. " We venture the assertion," says one of our 
most reliable authorities, "that twenty good secreta- 
ries who hold the true theory of the Church school 
will save in one year at least one hundred persons 
to the Church in the places to which they remove, 
and this simply by providing the departing pupils 
with certificates, and by anticipating their arrival 
at the place of destination by a letter or circular, 
or duplicate certificate, forwarded to the pastor 
resident there." 

If so good a w T ork might be so easily accom- 
plished, why is it so dreadfully neglected? It is 
sufficient to reply that " the true theory " has not 
dawned on the minds of many secretaries. More, 
there is hardly one school in ten in which all the 
duties required of or performed by the secretary 
might not be attended to quite as well by a school- 
boy in the "second reader." Noses are counted, 
and the number thereof solemnly recorded, to be 
reported next week — or never ; in which case the 
secretaryship is a stupid routine — a nuisance. No 
wonder the incumbents soon tire of it, and beg to 
be excused.* 

The Treasurer. — In the average school, the 

*See Chapter I., Part Eighth. 



190 Officers and Teachers. 



duties of secretary and treasurer should be com- 
bined. One man will do the work better than 
two. But whoever has charge of this business 
should be a liberal-minded person — a good finan- 
cier. It is not enough that he be honest. A close- 
fisted, stingy man in this position is a positive ca- 
lamity. He will neither devise liberal things nor 
give them official sanction when set on foot by 
others. If you want funds to meet expenses, if 
you wish your school to have a liberal education, 
get as treasurer a man who knows how to give, if 
rich, of his abundance ; if poor, of such things as 
he hath. He also is chief of department, and is 
therefore an educator. A Christian gentleman of 
business proclivities, broad views, and pleasant ad- 
dress will in a quiet way tone up a school's finan- 
cial affairs surprisingly. But you will never get 
such a man to accept a position which promises 
nothing more attractive than the honor of passing 
the hat semi-occasionally. If that is all there is 
of it — and it is in many a school — then the crea- 
tion of a treasurer's office is a piece of affectation 
that savors strongly of the ridiculous. 

A good treasurer will be diligent in securing 
contributions corresponding in a reasonable de- 
gree to the financial ability of each class. He 
will be prompt in entering them upon his book, 
and accurate to a farthing, ready at any time to 



Other Officers. 191 



render a statement showing when and by whom 
amounts were paid, when and for what purposes 
expenditures were made, and the exact amount on 
hand, as w r ell as that required to meet all ordinary- 
demands. He will secure a voucher for every 
item of expense, and will disburse no funds with- 
out proper authority. He will teach those who 
grumble at his exactness that with him business 
is business as religiously in the Church as out of 
it — and blessed is the Sunday-school that hath 
such an officer! 

The librarian — to be worth any thing — must 
be prompt, polite, firm, systematic. He must not 
only be a law-abiding person, but a law-enforcing 
person as well. Oftentimes he must be a law- 
maker, too. A wishy-washy character — albeit 
"the nicest young man in the school" — is deplora- 
bly out of place as custodian of the school's prop- 
erty. 

Your real librarian is a teacher of no mean in- 
fluence. As the school's trustee, he holds persons 
using its books to a strict account for their return 
at the specified time and in good condition. By 
constantly insisting upon compliance with the 
rules of his department, he will excite opposition 
among delinquents, but at the same time he in- 
spires a wholesome respect for law and order, 
teaches punctuality and honesty, discourages care- 



192 Officers and Teachers. 



lessness with regard to the property rights of oth- 
ers. One who can thus teach business morality — 
so closely akin to religion — and hold the books in- 
trusted to his care without bringing about a stiff 
breeze of complaint which may amount to a storm 
by and by, is a citizen whose like is not seen every 
day. 

The average librarian is "a clever young fel- 
low/' who distributes the books so successfully 
that the places which ought to know them soon 
know them no more forever. Having such a per- 
son in charge, you need not distress yourself about 
the best plan for managing the library. If let 
alone, he will manage it for you in the most ap- 
proved style, until the stock of books is exhausted; 
then he will probably resign. One plan is, in this 
case, quite as good as another. Get the right kind 
of a man first — then hunt a plan.* 

Assistants. — Give the librarian all the help 
he needs in such dispatch of business as will save 
delays and unreasonable intrusions upon the 
school. Rather than have him interrupting the 
classes during recitation, give him an assistant or 
two — or ten, if need be. Ladies manage some li- 
brary details more deftly than gentlemen. They 
make, therefore, valuable assistants. 

Tlie Chorister. — There can be no such thing 

*See Chapter III., Part Eighth. 



Other Officers. 193 



as good singing in Sunday-school without a good 
leader. By good singing is meant not only the 
ordinary requisites of time, of harmony, and of 
volume, but also of adaptation and of expression — 
singing with the spirit and with the understanding. 
The school learns to sing as it is taught. The chor- 
ister is its teacher. Natural talent developed by 
education in this branch may give him a correct 
ear, a rich, pure voice, but he must have a musical 
heart, one that responds in true devotional echo to 
the songs of Zion, or he cannot be called a good 
leader in this kind of service. If he does not 
worship while he sings — praying or praising as the 
theme may be; if his own heart be not uplifted 
on the wings of devotion toward the Object of all 
worship, he will certainly fail of cultivating the 
devotional sentiment in others. The crowning 
characteristic of a good chorister is personal piety. 
The true end of Sunday-school singing is not music, 
but worship. A musician may lead in singing — 
only a Christian can lead in heart-felt devotion. 
And he does not use vain w T ords who says, " The 
employment of worldly, trifling, tippling leaders 
of song in the Sunday-schools is simply an abomi- 
nation." Of two persons the better singer may 
make the worse leader. Get the best leader. 



194 Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE TEACHEK'S OFFICE. 

The objects of Sunday-school work have been 
discussed elsewhere. We are now to consider the 
class of agents by which these objects — the conver- 
sion and edification of pupils — are mainly to be 
brought about. 

Premise. — If any reader of these pages re- 
fuses to recognize in the Sunday-school teacher's 
work an office of the Church divinely authorized, 
Christ's own example being witness, he has certain- 
ly studied the life of our Lord and apostolic usage 
to little purpose. Nothing w T e might add would 
avail any thing with such a man. The New Tes- 
tament is the book for him. If he will not accept 
the testimony of the evangelists and their imme- 
diate successors, neither would he be persuaded 
though one should rise from the dead. That "Je- 
sus never taught a class in Sunday-school," as is 
sometimes hinted, falls as an argument below the 
level of an absurdity. In point of impertinent 
sagacity, it is something wonderful. What if it 
should be discovered that he never preached a ser- 
mon from a Methodist, or a Presbyterian, or a Bap- 
tist pulpit? 

Diverse Ministries. — In the many-mem- 
bered body of Christ are diversity of gifts, admin- 



The Teacher's Office. 195 



istrations, and operations ; " but it is the same God 
which worketh all in all." "And God hath set some 
in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, 
thirdly teachers." He who would restrict the teach- 
ing function of the Church to those who occupy 
the pulpit under ecclesiastical license is by that 
token a bigot, if not an ignoramus ; and, however 
he may resent the insinuation, is in this particular 
more papist than Protestant. With the question 
of ministerial prerogatives further than related to 
the Sunday-school we have nothing to do. The 
literature of that subject, as it relates to the clergy, 
is voluminous, and, taken in connection with the 
facts of every-day experience, is quite conclusive. 
It is with this newer and as yet but partially devel- 
oped phase of evangelical lay-work in the Sunday- 
school that we are briefly to deal. 

Lay Teachers . — Protestantism everywhere 
concedes the right of laymen to tell the old, old 
story of Jesus and his love, to verify salvation by 
faith out of their own personal experiences of sav- 
ing grace. Greatly significant as is this fact, it is 
questionable whether or not one century of Sunday- 
school experience has been sufficient to awaken us 
to the true greatness of this holy enterprise. The 
slow growth of great ideas is proverbial ; but while 
it is true, as stated by an eminent divine at the 
Raikes Centennial at New York, "that this noblest 



(96 Officers and Teachtrs. 



work in which man can engage outside of the pas- 
toral office has been a matter of very slow growth 
and against many difficulties in the past, as it may 
expect to work its way to greater perfection out of 
the difficulties of the present and future," yet al- 
ready has the Protestant Church been so penetrat- 
ed and possessed by the Sunday-school movement 
that it to-day not only concedes the right of lay 
teaching, but demands it as a duty. From all its 
branches, from every quarter of the globe, comes 
the cry for " more teachers and better teaching," a 
cry in answer to the world's most urgent appeal 
for help, for light, for life. 

Special Advantages. — No thoughtful and 
unprejudiced mind can deny to Sunday-school 
teachers advantages of influence peculiarly their 
own. They deal with childhood — "pliant, suscep- 
tible, not preoccupied by erroneous opinions, unbi- 
ased, unengrossed with worldly care, full of faith 
in the teacher, ready for full faith in God." They 
minister to a small number of learners in the di- 
rect, personal, and mutually acknowledged rela- 
tion of teacher and disciple. Their course of study 
is marked out in a series of texts carefully selected 
and expounded with special reference to their wants 
by the wisest and best men the Church can com- 
mand. Free discussions of these texts give them 
special facilities for ascertaining the extent of truth 



The Teacher's Office. 197 



known to their pupils, and the individual relations 
they sustain to it. These particulars, to go no far- 
ther, combining with appropriateness of time and 
place, furnish to Sunday-school teachers superior 
opportunities for interesting, for instructing, for 
impressing, and for saving precious souls ; opportu- 
nities which the most renowned ministers of earth — 
nay, which even the angels of God — might covet. 
For what are angels but ministering spirits? and 
what is a Sunday-school teacher if not a servant 
of God? — what but an unconscious sham or a con- 
scious hypocrite? 

What are the duties required of a 
teacher? Looking directly to the objects pro- 
posed, that question is easily answered. A teacher 
is appointed to the care of souls — to lead, to feed, to 
guard, to save them. Whether his flock be lambs 
or sheep, whether it numbers six or six hundred, 
all the same, his office is pastoral, his duties are 
pastoral, he is more than a mere instructor — he is 
a pastor, a sub-pastor, if you please, but for all 
that none the less a pastor. These are facts, plain, 
incontrovertible facts, demanding immediate recog- 
nition. They have been largely ignored, practical- 
ly denied; and with what result? This: that a 
multitude of careless, incompetent persons are em- 
ployed in our Sunday-schools as teachers, in obe- 
dience to a well-established principle that an irre- 



198 Officers and Teachers. 



sponsible office invites irresponsible people, who are 
not slow to accept — people who seek a ready-made 
class and one exactly to their liking; who when 
they are enrolled on the list of teachers have little 
definite idea beyond this : that they are at liberty 
to teach what they please as they please and when 
they please, to come w T hen it suits them, and quit 
when they get ready, with no particular sense of 
responsibility to the class, the school, the Church, 
or to God. These things are so, and it is worse 
than idle to attempt to conceal them. The most 
alarming feature of the whole business is the blind- 
ness and indifference of many preachers in charge 
of churches where such a state of things exists — 
preachers who are to this extent untrue to their 
commission and their vows. Fine sermonizers they 
may be; good shepherds they certainly are not. 
The flocks are farmed out to the lowest bidders. 

If we should be asked, " What do our Sunday- 
schools most need to-day?" our reply would be, 
pastoral care. We will not say that convert-mak- 
ing among adults receives too much attention, but 
we do say that "shepherding" receives too little. 
Seeking the lost is well enough, but saving the lost 
is at last the grand achievement. Going into the 
mountains after the stray one is a commendable 
thing, but not till the safety of the ninety and nine 
has been provided for. What havoc often befalls 



The Teacher's Office. 199 



the fold in the temporary absence of a pastor! 
How the tender lambkins shiver, and starve, and 
stray, and die, all for want of wider-shepherds / 

Who should be employed as teachers? 
Certainly the very best men and women of every 
community; those who are best informed in the 
word of God and most skillful in leading others to 
study and understand it; who know most of Christ 
by practical observations of his life and character, 
by personal union and communion w 7 ith him ; whose 
faith is clearest, whose hope is brightest, whose love 
is deepest — the wisest, bravest, purest, truest, best 
of every congregation should be selected for this 
service of bringing souls to Christ, of teaching 
souls to abide in Christ. 



200 Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
THE LACK OF TEACHEKS. 

The demand for teachers of the character 
just mentioned is coextensive with the existence 
of Sunday-schools. It is urgent, constant, and in- 
creasing day by day. It is one of the most signif- 
icant, as it is also one of the most hopeful, tokens 
of the times to come. It is humanity's voicing of 
God's requisition upon the Church. The harvest- 
fields are whitening. The prayer for laborers is 
earnest and unmistakable. 

The Supply. — Where are the teachers to come 
from ? From the Church, of course. Now let us 
consider for a moment the attitude assumed when 
we complain of being required to organize and 
maintain Sunday-schools in the absence of suitable 
teaching material. Is God a hard task-master, re- 
quiring bricks, but withholding the straw? Is it 
true that out of the multitudes professing Chris- 
tianity so few are possessors of the spirit of Christ 
that we cannot secure a sufficient number of heav- 
enly-minded men and women to teach in our Sun- 
day-schools? Is the gospel of Christ such a fail- 
ure? Is the body of Christ such a misshapen, ill- 
adjusted thing that one of its most important 
functions is thus seriously impaired? So, w r e must 
confess, it is frequently made to appear in the 



The Lack of Teachers. 201 



charges recklessly preferred concerning the scarc- 
ity of teaching material in the Church. To be 
sure those who make such charges do not mean 
that, but that is what it amounts to. 

No Lack of Material. — Now, what are the 
facts? First, that the Church is fully able to meet 
any and every demand God makes upon it for Sun- 
day-school teachers. Second, wherever Christ has 
an intelligent follower, who is able to get to a Sun- 
day-school room, there is one who can teach a class 
if need be. "But suppose he refuses to do it when 
requested ? " Failing to see the necessity, he needs 
to be convinced. " But suppose he admits the ne- 
cessity, and still refuses?" Then he is not follow- 
ing Christ, and needs to be converted. Finally, 
wherever Christ has a Church he has people whose 
business it is to teach Christianity with a view to 
saving souls. They may be poor, unlearned people ; 
tillers of the soil, day-laborers, mechanics, fisher- 
men ; but if they have the spirit of Christ they are 
his, and — let the Pharisees and worldlings scoff as 
they will — these people can teach in Sunday-school. 
They may lack every thing else, but with sound 
minds and consecrated hearts they can teach the 
saving truths of the gospel in a saving, sanctifying 
way; and that is precisely what is wanted. Once 
get them to feel that their services are needed, that 
they ought to teach, that you seriously wish them 



202 Officers and Teachers. 



to do so, and they will teach, not for your sake, 
perhaps, but for Christ's. It is not the man who 
knows most that teaches best, whether in the pulpit 
or out of it. It is the one who does his best for 
Christ's sake. There is no lack of teaching ma- 
terial in the Church. 

How is this material to be made avail- 
able ? In seeking an answer, let us go back a step 
and inquire, Why is it that so much difficulty is 
experienced in securing competent teachers? This 
is a serious question, and one worthy of more mi- 
nute examination than our present limits will allow. 
Passing over the various excuses, more or less plau- 
sible, rendered by those whose services seem desir- 
able, but who stand aloof and refuse classes when 
asked to teach, we come to this solid reason : 

Lack of Interest. — That this adverse condi- 
tion exists ; that it oftentimes thwarts the well-meant 
and most persistent efforts of earnest superintend- 
ents; that it obstructs the progress of the Sunday- 
school, and keeps souls out of the kingdom of God, is 
a fact well known and widely deplored. But lamen- 
tations are futile, else the evil had disappeared long 
ago. The question recurs : Why this indifference 
on the part of those who profess to be on the Lord's 
side, whose names are on the Church-register, whose 
attendance at preaching is regular, whose lives are 
consistent, whose diligence in business is proverbial, 



The Lack of Teachers. 203 



whose intelligence is above the average, whose op- 
portunities are all that could be desired — why is it 
that they will not join the school and teach a class? 
To say " they lack religion " is begging the question, 
for that quality is already conceded them. We 
are talking about religious people, and none other, 
just now. 

The truth is, the class of persons alluded to are 
not by any means devoid of interest in the Sunday- 
school work. They approve it, and in a remote 
way contribute to it. But here is the trouble — their 
interest is too remote, too general to be of immedi- 
ate or decided benefit. And until the matter is, in 
some way, brought home to them, and left upon 
the individual mind and conscience; until it be- 
comes distinctly personal ; until there comes to each 
man and woman who ought to teach a realization of 
a divine mission, and of a divine call to that mis- 
sion, we may as well abandon all hopes of securing 
competent teachers for our Sunday-schools. With- 
out this conviction, no one, however deeply inter- 
ested from other motives, is, or can be, a competent 
or efficient Sunday-school teacher. That all the 
galvanic tricks employed "to excite an interest " 
fail in the long run of imparting more than a re- 
pulsive semblance of real life is a fact well known 
to all who have observed the result of such exper- 
iments. 



204 Officers and Teachers. 



Lack of Ability. — Many when appealed to, 
some who have been Church-members for years — 
"pillars of the Church," even — refuse to teach, as- 
signing as a reason, and without a visible blush, 
that "they would like to, but haven't the ability." 
And now and then a pastor, who regularly preaches 
fine sermons to fine congregations, and felicitates 
himself on the fine feelings manifested, so far for- 
gets himself as to confess — in efforts at apology for 
a miserable little imitation of a Sunday-school — 
and without a blush, that he " could have a fine 
school if he could only secure competent teachers." 
Think of it — preachers, pillars, and people all too 
weak to support a Sunday-school ! What a fearful 
lack of ability! 

The Real Lack. — To make the matter quite 
plain, let us take Wesley Chapel for example, which, 
whether the one or the other, whether in town or 
country, makes no difference. In numbers, intel- 
ligence, and piety, this congregation fairly repre- 
sents the average church. Here the pure word of 
God is preached regularly, the sacraments are duly 
administered, and the preacher is supposed to get 
his salary somehow or other. The one great trouble 
at Wesley Chapel is to get the right kind of teach- 
ers for the Sunday-school. There are a faithful 
few, the original panel, who have been teachers 
true for years — one "ever since the war." They 



The Lack of Teachers. 205 



are not "the best people in the world/' but they 
are worth their weight in gold to the community 
round about the chapel. By hard "drumming/' 
as the exigences of the case demanded, the super- 
intendent has, at divers times, succeeded in getting 
sundry persons to take classes. They taught awhile, 
began to waver, and, on various well-known pre- 
texts, deserted. The superintendent, poor man, 
has been sorely afflicted. He has more than once 
been tempted to commit official suicide. A history 
of his " ups and downs " would reveal the fact that 
the heroes are not all dead yet. To what straits he 
has been reduced appears from an examination of 
the present roll of teachers. We find the corps 
composed as follows: 

"Original panel" — aforesaid 3 

Borrowed from the Presbyterians 1 

Borrowed from the Baptists 1 

Borrowed from the sinners — boys 2 

Borrowed from the sinners — girls 3 

Total 10 

Classes without regular teachers, and "heard" by 
Thomas, Richard, and Henry, when they hap- 
pen to be present — three. 

" Eather an ugly exhibit," you say. True. "And 
one of which the members of that congregation 
should feel ashamed." It is but simple justice to 
say those who are acquainted with the facts are 



206 Officers and Teachers. 

ashamed of them. They are so sensitive upon the 
subject that they really suffer when asked, "How 
is your Sunday-school getting along?" Those who 
reply, " O first rate ! they 've got a good school at 
our church/' belong to another class — the happy- 
go-lucky sort, who "are not in trouble as other 
men, neither are they plagued like other men," for 
the reason that they do n't know so much. 

NOW, WHAT IS THE MATTER AT WESLEY ChAP- 

el? Are there not people belonging to that con- 
gregation intelligent enough to teach? Plenty of 
them. Are they wanting in religion? Judged by 
all the tests ordinarily applied, they are above 
rather than below the average in this particular. 
How then are we to account for the condition of 
things in Wesley Church Sunday-school? Why is 
it that Brother Stickwell, the superintendent, can- 
not find teachers among the members of that 
Church? For this reason, and no other: because 
the members of that Church have never been trained 
to service in this department. They have been 
accustomed to look upon the school as something 
apart from "the Church," and its operations as 
somewhat similar to, but yet distinct from, "regu- 
lar Church work." They have been led to regard 
Brother Stickwell as head and front of the whole 
business — perfectly competent, in their estimation, 
to run it in proper style, and wholly responsible for 



The Lack of Teachers. 207 



its success or failure. They think of it as Brother 
StickweH's school, not as Christ's. The duty of 
supporting Brother Stickvvell in his efforts to carry 
it on rests, in their conception, upon the members 
of "the school, " rather than upon the members of 
"the Church/' When teachers are wanted, it is 
Brother Stickwell who wants them, not Christ; and 
when they refuse to serve, they have simply got rid 
of Brother Stickwell, an enthusiastic " Sunday- 
school man." " I pray thee have me excused," 
" I cannot come," is intended for Brother Stickwell's 
ear alone. They who so speak fail to realize that 
they are sending a message to the Master. Do you 
w T onder that they get along badly at Wesley Chapel 
Sunday-school? Is it strange, while the superin- 
tendent is saying " We need teachers," unquiet con- 
sciences are prompting thoughtful men and women 
to say, " We need a revival in our Church ? " Wes- 
ley Chapel, under various names, abounds in the 
land. The Master is grieved. By whom? In view 
of the sacrificial emblems, let the inquiry go round, 
"Lord, is it I?" And let those who plead lack of 
ability remember it was not the man of five, or two, 
but he of the one talent, the slothful dissembler, 
w T ho, for his unprofitableness, was " cast into outer 
darkness." Every sane man has at least one talent. 
The Master will come to make a reckoning by and 
by. Brother, what are you doing with your talent? 



208 Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER IX. 

TEAINING TEACHEKS. 

A Prerequisite. — Some men have a genius 
for preaching; most men who are called to this 
work have not. They learn to preach as they 
learned to read, to push the plane, to guide the 
plow, to sow, to reap — by being taught, by study, 
by observation, by practice. Some people have a 
natural tact for teaching ; the most have not. If 
they ever become teachers, they must learn both 
what to teach and how to teach. Occupying a 
teacher's place no more makes one a teacher than 
going into the pulpit converts one into a preacher. 
There are antecedent qualifications that are just as 
essential in the one case as in the other. It is quite 
as absurd to suppose that just anybody can teach a 
valuable lesson in Sunday-school as that just any- 
body can deliver a profitable sermon from the pul- 
pit. To succeed in either instance, one must know 
how ; and to know how implies special preparation 
for that particular work. The reason why we so 
often fail of finding good teachers for our schools 
is because good teachers are not to be found — they 
must be manufactured out of the raw material ; and 
the reason why we have so many trifling teachers 
in our schools is because nobody has taken the 
trouble to make them better. The process com- 



Training Teachers. 209 



monly employed in furnishing supplies of this char- 
acter is very simple ; it develops in about this way : 
A teacher is needed ; the superintendent picks up 
somebody, marches him to the front, and remarks 
in a pleasant voice, "Children, I've brought you 
a teacher." That is all. Beautiful, isn't it? A 
picked-up teacher bears about the same relation 
to the real article as a picked-up dinner — it is bet- 
ter than none. If we would have better teachers 
in our Sunday-schools, we must take the trouble to 
select from the best material at our command, and 
develop them by systematic training. 

By whom is this work to be done? It 
will in some measure be cooperative, but recog- 
nized leaders in it there must be, or it will never 
be done at all. Who ought to lead in this move- 
ment? Granting it to be desirable, this question is 
the first to be settled. It must be decided before 
a single step farther can be taken. There is a 
growing sentiment in favor of an elevated standard 
among Sunday-school teachers. It may easily be 
fanned into a flame. Shall we look to our super- 
intendents to take the initiative? Who that is at 
all familiar with this subject does not know that, 
taken as a class, they are waiting to be led ? Only 
the fewest number are qualified for this service. 
Only here and there one is to be found whose op- 
portunities of education and experience have been 
14 



210 Officers and Teachers. 



such as to make him conspicuous as a leader in re- 
ligious movements;, and besides, what thoughtful 
observer has failed to perceive the restraints which 
the cry of "too much Sunday-school independ- 
ence " has imposed.. It is no disparagement of them 
to say that, with rare and notable exceptions, our 
superintendents are, with more or less of impatience, 
waiting to be led. They are a shining example of 
loyalty to the principles in which they have been 
trained — of subjection to the higher powers. 

Pastors. — To come at once to the point, we 
must look to pastors to begin this work ; we must 
depend very largely, and for an indefinite period, 
upon them for its effective prosecution. The peo- 
ple have been properly taught to regard the pastor 
as chief of the corps of instruction in the Church. 
Let no one who is in the pastorate complain of this 
as an impertinent attempt to add to an already 
sufficiently heavy burden. If the duty of training 
religious teachers does not inhere in the very office 
of pastor, we have sadly mistaken the nature and 
designs of that office. If the pastor is not the man, 
then to whom shall we go? There are responsibil- 
ities thrust upon the pastor that legitimately be- 
long elsewhere, but this we humbly conceive is not 
one of them. If he must seek relief, he may throw 
those off, but this remains inseparably bound up 
with his official life. We fully agree with Eggles- 



Training Teachers. 211 



ton, who says: "The writer has given years to the 
pastoral work, and it is not in his heart to under- 
estimate the influence that pastors have exerted, 
and are exerting, in favor of the advancement of 
the Sunday-school work ; but he sincerely believes 
that a thorough awakening of pastors will give us 
more schools, more scholars, more teachers, more 
earnestness, a body of trained workers, glorious re- 
sults — in fact, almost every thing to be desired. 
With pastors lie the fountain of power." In a 
word, our teachers need to be trained, and our pas- 
tors need to train them. 

How is this work to be done? — in other 
words, by what methods? First, by a careful scru- 
tiny of all the material at hand, and a selection of 
the best. Then, let those thus chosen as a reserve 
corps, irrespective of age or sex, compose one Sun- 
day-school class, to be regularly taught by the fore- 
most educator the school can command, the pastor 
giving it special personal oversight. When a teach- 
er's place is to be supplied temporarily, take a 
member of this class for that service. Draw such 
supplies wholly from this class, and in regular rota- 
Hon, so that every member may have equal oppor- 
tunity with another for practical experience in 
teaching. Thus the intellectual capacity for re- 
ceiving and imparting knowledge, as well as the 
spiritual attainments of each one, is put to the test. 



212 Officers and Teachers. 



From careful observations, the pastor and superin- 
tendent will have little difficulty in determining 
the relative merits of each member of the class. 
When a regular teacher is in demand, they will 
know precisely which of its number is best adapted 
for the particular class of pupils to be taught. 

If there is a member of the Church outside of 
the school who in the judgment of the pastor would 
make a good teacher, he should use his influence to 
bring such person into this class. It will be found 
that many can be induced to become members of 
the school in this relation who otherwise cannot be 
reached. But caution must be exercised, or the 
ends sought in the organization of the class will be 
defeated. Let no one become a member of it who 
is not accounted worthy of being made in due time 
a regular teacher in the school. Where a teach- 
ers'-meeting is held, insist upon the attendance of 
reserves. This plan is simple; it is feasible; it is 
adapted to every grade of Sunday-school and to 
every locality. 

Teachers'-meetings* should be instituted in ev- 
ery school where it is practicable — and they are 
much oftener practicable than some are willing, 
from sinister considerations, to admit. Their im- 
portance in the matter of training teachers can 
scarcely be overestimated. Among the benefits 

*See Chapter IV., Part Eighth. 



Training Teachers. 213 



which accrue may be mentioned, (1) a more inti- 
mate bond of fellowship, social and religious, among 
the teachers; (2) a more thorough study of the 
lesson ; (3) a better knowledge of the methods to 
be employed in private investigation of the lesson ; 
(4) a better understanding of the methods to be 
used in teaching the lesson; (5) a more intimate 
acquaintance with all the affairs of the school. 

The beneficial results of a weekly confer- 
ence among teachers seeking improvement are so 
manifestly attainable by this plan that it scarcely 
needs to be urged. Desirable ends are no more to 
be attained in this sort of work without the em- 
ployment of adequate means than in any other. 
If we would have better teachers and better schools, 
w T e must have more teachers'-meetings. Our teach- 
ing forces are in the main loyal to the cause which 
they have espoused; and are zealously affected in a 
good work, but they will never measure up to its 
requirements, never fully achieve the grand objects 
before them, until they are more thoroughly drilled 
and disciplined. Soldiers of the cross by enlist- 
ment, they must be diligently exercised in the 
camp-school, trained in the manual of arms, trained 
to mutual confidence and support in every aggress- 
ive movement, trained in all that is required of 
them, and finally they must be led by skillful offi- 
cers, before they can become reliable veterans in 



214 Officers and Teachers. 



the field. The school which might have a teach- 
ers'-meeting, and does not because neither pastor 
nor superintendent will take the trouble to estab- 
lish it, is to be pitied ; one that might, and will not 
because extra work is demanded, is a shabby affair, 
find it where you will, whether in the grand estab- 
lishment on Bon-ton avenue or in the log school- 
house of Persimmonville. 



Unconverted Teachers. 215 



CHAPTER X. 
UNCONVEKTED TEACHEKS. 

Should they be employed ? There has 
been a great deal of just and reasonable concern 
expressed on this score ; and there has been a great 
deal of nonsensical talk indulged in its discussion. 
It is frequently asserted that no unconverted per- 
son should be allowed to teach. And about nine 
out of ten who say so are people who are quite free 
to expend opinions about the Sunday-school, but 
who take special pains to expend no energy in it — 
in plain terms, who know very little of what they 
are talking about. We have said the Churches 
should furnish teachers, and their best — mark that. 

A Test Case. — Up here at Mount Carmel, in 
a populous community, a Sunday-school has been 
organized; the young people fill the rickety old 
meeting-house; the superintendent expresses his 
joy, and promises to get teachers for them ; he tries 
the membership of Carmel for additional help, and 
fails ; he tries the Ebenezer folks, and gets a prom- 
ise which proves a failure ; a few members of other 
denominations take pity on him, and say, " We will 
come as often as we can." Still there is a lack; 
several of the young people have been heard to 
say, " We 're not coming any more if we do n't get 
a teacher next Sunday ; " and so, in spite of what 



216 Officers and Teachers. 



Sir Oracle said at the convention, against the dic- 
tum of the presiding elder, and contrary to his 
well-developed denominational prejudices, he has at 
last to beg some " clever sinners " to come to the 
rescue. They are his nearest and best neighbors ; 
he has known them from childhood; they were 
anxious to have a school at Carmel ; they came 
the day it was organized ; they contributed liber- 
ally to purchase literature ; they have been pres- 
ent, rain or shine, every Sunday ; they are deeply 
interested in the success of the school ; they did 
not seek to be teachers; they protested against 
taking classes ; they yielded because they felt un- 
der the circumstances they ought, and finally said, 
"If you can't do any better, we will try; but we 
had much rather be scholars." And there they 
are, week by week, trying — to do what? A Christ- 
like work which his followers refused to undertake. 
Did Jesus ever authorize any man to call such as 
these, engaged in such a work, " blind leaders of 
the blind?" Where? By what sign? Are they 
Pharisees — hypocrites? Admitting that they 
know little of Jesus, they are trying to teach that 
little, while some who profess to know him as a 
personal Saviour refuse to tell the boys and girls 
of Mount Carmel about him. Think you the Mas- 
ter would rebuke these unconverted teachers? 
John and other disciples saw a man casting out 



Unconverted Teachers. 217 



devils in the name of Jesus. They " forbade him " 
• — told him to quit — he must not use his influence 
against these devils any further. Why? "Be- 
cause he followeth not with us," said they — he 
doesn't belong to " the Church" — he has no right 
to trespass upon our prerogatives. And Jesus said 
unto John, "Forbid him not: for he that is not 
against us is for us." If a cup of cold water, 
given in the name of a disciple, does not fail of a 
reward, will this feeding of lambs forsaken go un- 
requited ? 

The Question Settled.*— "What was it 
that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" 
said the Master to his disciples. " But they held 
their peace: for by the way they had disputed 
among themselves who should be the greatest. 
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith 
unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same 
shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he 
took a child and set him in the midst of them ; and 
when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto 
them, 

Whosoever shall receive one of such children 
in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall 
receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent 
me." Did you ever notice how many of these "un- 
converted teachers," shortly after receiving chil- 
*Mark ix. 33-37, and parallels. 



218 Officers and Teachers. 



dren in the name of Christ, received Christ him- 
self, and entered the kingdom of heaven as a little 
child? A truly converted teacher, not a mere 
"professor," is by all odds the best teacher. He 
is most effective, and should in every instance be, 
as in almost every instance he is, first choice for 
this position. But where such persons cannot be 
had, those who "are on our part" are not to be 
despised. Some of this class rank as more effect- 
ive teachers than some who are classed as "pro- 
fessors." Let those who are inclined to oppose 
them remember that " beggars cannot be choosers." 
Where organizations called Churches allow the 
office of teacher to "go begging," it is a scandal 
and a shame to them ; as it is honorable to those 
from without who, perceiving the need, " come to 
the help of the Lord against the mighty." Let it 
be borne in mind that Church-membership does 
not make one a Christian. Following Christ does. 
The best Church-members are Christians. So are 
the best Sunday-school teachers. 

Who should not be employed as teach- 
ers ? First of all, the fool who says in his heart, 
"No God." Second, the man who admits the ex- 
istence of "a Great First Cause" because he is 
compelled to, and doubts every thing else because 
he may. Third, the man who professes to believe 
every thing and belies himself in an immoral life. 



Unconverted Teachers. 219 



Finally, no man or woman who does not desire to 
flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from sin, 
and to assist others to a like desire and to a like 
salvation. 



220 Officers and Teachers. 



CHAPTER XL 

THE TEACHEK'S SPIEIT. 

The teacher's character has been sketched. It 
would be easy to furnish a long catalogue of "qual- 
ifications." There is one which implies all the rest 
—the spirit of Christ. With this the teacher is 
furnished unto every good work required of him. 
He will seek the perfect accomplishment of that 
work by every legitimate means within his reach. 
Ability multiplied by opportunity will be the 
measure of his efforts. He will be satisfied with 
nothing less. He will love his work ; he will love 
his pupils ; for the love of Christ constraineth him 
— love born of Christ's love — "an earnestness of 
love that has in it something of agony." Thus 
impelled, nothing that he can command of time or 
energy, of soul or substance, will be considered too 
precious a contribution to such a work. He will 
give himself to it No teacher who has the spirit 
of Christ can fail ; no teacher without it can suc- 
ceed. The teacher's only model is Jesus Christ; 
the only qualification required is this, to be like 
him. 

The teacher's aim in all his dealings with 
his class follows the direction of his own life. Even 
loving his pupils as himself, he can seek for them 
nothing higher than he proposes for himself. The 



The Teacher's Spirit. 221 



objects of a life determine its character, and char- 
acter determines the lessons one may teach. A 
Sunday-school teacher's theory of the objects to be 
attained may be correct in every particular, but it 
is of no account if he contradict it in his daily 
life. His doing will be more influential than his 
saying. If what he says others ought to do finds 
support in what he does himself, the sum-total of 
his influence g^oes in the direction it is aimed. So 
we take this to be the first great object which a 
teacher should propose for himself — to live right; 
and the second is like unto it, namely, to teach 
others how to live. Our being and our doing are 
the things for which we are held responsible. Get- 
ting ready to live, and living ; getting ready to do, 
and doing what God requires, are the best possible 
preparations for death. Any other w r ay of "get- 
ting ready to die " is foreign to the main purpose 
of life as revealed from above. We may be par- 
doned for suggesting that less " grave-yard relig- 
ion " and more of Christ in our lives and teaching 
would give the world a healthier idea of what God 
wants men to be Christians for. 

Fruit, not Leaves. — Let the teacher who 
would see the fruit of his labor make this language 
of the Master the rule of his life : "Abide in me, 
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of 
itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye 



222 Officers and Teachers. 



except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the 
branches : he that abideth in me, and I in him, the 
same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me 
[literally, severed from me~\ ye can do nothing." If 
we would see our scholars converted, we must 
prayerfully, persistently, and patiently, not offen- 
sively, seek their conversion. If we would see 
them abide in Christ, we must use all diligence and 
wisdom in the cultivation of their spiritual nature 
that they may grow in grace and in the knowledge 
of him. Why is it that so many teachers fail of 
spiritual results in their classes? For no other 
reason than this, plainly expressed, "They aim at 
nothing, and hit it." " He that gathereth not with 
me, scattereth," says the good Shepherd. There 
must be a close union and communion with Christ 
in order to identity of aim and unity of effort. 
Having Christ abidingly enthroned in his own 
heart, the teacher will seek in the wisest ways his 
enthronement in the hearts of his pupils. Having 
realized in his own experience the forgiveness of 
sins, a change of heart, and adoption into the heav- 
enly family, he has practical evidence of father- 
hood, of sonship, of treasure in heaven, of a life 
hid with Christ in God. So he will speak to his 
class with perfect confidence of our Father, our 
Saviour, our Comforter, our inheritance. By the 
pangs of penitence for sin which he has felt, hell 



The Teacher's Spirit. 223 



is no myth ; by the abiding joys of redemption 
from sin which he now feels, heaven is a sweet 
reality to him, and through him a blessed revela- 
tion to his class. The first duty of a teacher of 
the religion of Jesus Christ is to keep his own heart 
right. Then he will aim to bring children into the 
school, that through it they may be brought into 
the Church ; he will attract them to himself, that 
he may lead them to Jesus ; he will teach them to 
follow him in humility here, that they may share 
his glory in the eternal hereafter. 

Looking unto Jesus. — The teacher's work 
is to interest his class in divine truth ; to inform 
their minds and to impress their hearts concerning 
it. By what means ? Through the written and 
revealed word of God in humble reliance upon the 
Spirit's help. And to what end ? That his pupils 
may be converted, edified, saved. Nobler mission 
never kindled enthusiasm in human heart, nor 
nerved it to high endeavor. For this self-same 
thing the Christ-child came to Bethlehem's man- 
ger, and being baptized "Immanuel," fought and 
won the battle of the wilderness, threw himself in 
the forefront of humanity's strife with sin, and pro- 
claimed himself the Prince of Peace. For this he 
breasted the storm of iniquity's wrath, wicked men 
maligned him, persecuted him at every step, hunt- 
ed him down, arrested him, bound him, crowned 



224 l Officers and Teachers. 



him with thorns, mocked him, smote him, spit upon 
him, despised him, rejected him, crucified him. 
He who was the perfection of strength, of wisdom, 
of goodness, of love, suffered such ignominy. He 
died, your Lord and mine, to save sinners. For 
this he rose victorious over death ; for this he sends 
his Spirit to the hearts of his redeemed ones with 
the message, " Go, preach, teach," that sinners may 
be saved. It is precisely this for which Sunday- 
schools have been organized, classes gathered, and 
teachers called — that sinners may be saved. This 
is the teacher's work, the salvation of souls. It is 
no child's play, no sentimental engagement ; it is 
work, " requiring for its propelling power something 
more than a love of novelty, or a love of applause, 
or a pleasurable excitement." It is work which 
has its peculiar temptations and discouragements, 
its obstacles and its perils. Considering its mag- 
nitude and the formidableness of its environment, 
the teacher may well exclaim, " Who is sufficient 
for these things?" He who perseveres against 
such odds must needs insure his heart against its 
own despondency by fair example of success. But 
to whom shall he look ? Like the stirring appeal 
of a veteran leader ringing above the din of bat- 
tle come the words of Paul the dauntless, " Look 
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, 
who, for the joy that was set before him, endured 



The Teacher's Spirit. 225 



the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at 
the right-hand of the throne of God. Consider 
him that endured such contradiction of sinners 
against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in 
your minds." Happy he who learns that all our 
sufficiency is of God. 

Power from on High. — More than elegant- 
ly furnished rooms and ample lesson-helps; more 
than elaborate organization and accuracy of move- 
ment; more than artistic music and costly libra- 
ries; more than modern methods and advanced 
thought; more than style, learning, eloquence; 
more than all these and all else, we need in our 
Sunday-schools the presence and power of God, 
the baptism of the Holy Ghost, hearts of flame 
and tongues of fire. This is the chiefest gift which 
Heaven can bestow or earth receive. And may we 
have it? If we will. How is it to be obtained? 
" We must get it as we get our own salvation, by 
begging for it on our knees, and continuing to beg 
until we get what we ask." * Then, believing, we 
may teach others to believe, and knowing, we will 
lead them to know the truth. In the joy of a great 
salvation attested from above, we are made com- 
petent witnesses to the truth. Then will our teach- 
ing of Christ be more than an expression of human 
opinions — it will be an assertion of facts realized in 

* Hart. 
15 



226 Officers and Teachers. 



personal experience — it will be "not with enticing 
words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of 
the Spirit and of power." Then will scholars be 
made to "feel in their inmost souls that that which 
brings the teacher to the class is not their amuse- 
ment but their salvation." Then will trivial dis- 
tinctions be leveled, petty jealousies be put to 
flight, and teachers and preachers be drawn into 
that fellowship of the gospel for which Jesus 
prayed : "That they all may be one; as thou, Fa- 
ther, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may 
be one in us ; that the world may believe that thou 
hast sent me." 

The teacher has the care of souls. His work 
is pastoral. His aim should be that of a good 
shepherd. His character should be that of a true 
pastor. 



PART SIXTH. 

Week-day Work, 



CHAPTER I. 

AN INDISPENSABLE CONDITION OF SUCCESS. 

A Delusion. — With respect to the practical 
operations of a Sunday-school, there is one errone- 
ous idea which must be abandoned before we can 
hope to realize in any instance the full measure of 
success brought to view by this system. What is 
it? This: that it is possible to have a really good 
school without w r orking for it during the week. 
The disastrous effect of this notion is painfully ap- 
parent wherever indulged, whether in high places 
or in low. It cannot be concealed. In spite of the 
popular disguise of numbers and noise paraded on 
the one extreme, or of cunningly devised apologies 
for empty benches and muteness on the other, this 
treacherous conceit is easily detected. There are 
many signs by which its presence is indicated. The 
most palpable is this : a Sunday-school that is do- 
ing little or no real good ; one that has no known 
purpose in its life beyond living — one that lives 
because it doesn't want to die; a butterfly, sun- 
shiny sort of Sunday-school ; an ease-loving, lazy 

(227) 



228 Week-day Work. 



kind of school ; the "shabby-genteel" member of a 
highly respectable family, on whose credit it relies 
for support; the sickly, sentimental, soft-headed, 
soft-handed, faint-hearted thing called a Sunday- 
school that is trying to get along in this unfriendly 
world without work — a failure. The reader must 
not take this as an attempt at facetiousness, a mere 
play upon words. It is no caricature. Unfortu- 
nately for the cause of religion, the species de- 
scribed has actual and numerous existence. Its 
extinction by development into something worthier 
of the Church of Christ is a consummation most 
devoutly to be wished for, and prayed for, and es- 
pecially to be worked for. 

We lay down these propositions as incontrovert- 
ible: 

1. That there neither is nor can be such a thing 
as a good Sunday-school without week-day work — 
and hard work, at that — on the part of those com- 
posing it. 

2. That this week-day work is sadly neglected, 
and that the power and efficiency of our Sunday- 
schools is thereby greatly impaired. 

3. That more Sunday-school failures are brought 
about by this negligence than by any or all other 
causes combined. 

Who should work for the school dur- 
ing the week? Not the superintendent only, 



An Indispensable Condition of Success. 229 



or a select few, as is usually the case ; but every 
member, from the youngest to the oldest. Where 
the few attempt to " carry on the school," requir- 
ing little or nothing of the many, beyond the priv- 
ilege of carrying them, the progress made will 
hardly astonish anybody. If the concern does 
not suffer an early collapse, it will be the greater 
wonder. The most important events in the history 
of some schools are the oft-recurring "reorganiza- 
tions." They "fall through" so naturally and 
gracefully as scarcely to create a ripple, and for 
the good reason that at the time of the catas- 
trophe "they are altogether lighter than vanity;" 
lighter, indeed, than any thing with reason in it. 
Sensible, earnest people, whether religious or not, 
object to being carried. They will not go as mere 
baggage or ballast ; and that is one reason why so 
many of them are out of Sunday-school.* 

Why is it that there are so many in our Sun- 
day-schools who do absolutely nothing advanta- 
geous to them during the week? A complete 
answer to this question would be difficult, if not 
impossible; here, as elsewhere, a few suggestive 
remarks must suffice. 

1. Nothing is bone because nothing is ex- 
pected. In some schools the matter is not even 

* If any reader chooses to give this thought a wider ap- 
plication, the responsibility is his, not the writer's. 



230 Week-day Work. 



hinted at, much less urged. Expecting nothing, 
no disappointments are experienced. 

2. Because nothing is specifically re- 
quired. All are supposed to know that certain 
things ought to be done, and are supposed to need 
no definite instructions. Too much is taken for 
granted. Some do not know; others do not care. 
Instead of being exhorted to activity in a general 
way — to "go to w T ork" — the things which are want- 
ed should be specified. They should be presented 
in the order of their relative importance — one thing 
at a time. Let' the duty required be kept before 
the school, and in its various aspects be so stressed 
that a serious intention to have it performed will 
be made evident. When certain persons or classes 
are selected for a particular service, keep that fact 
fresh in the mind of the whole school. When neg- 
ligence is manifested, there is no charity in silence; 
when progress is made, let commendation surely 
follow. Cultivate definiteness of purpose in every 
movement by distinct statements of the end pro- 
posed. Do not insist that the whole school, or any 
part of it, "go to work" until they know exactly 
what is expected. Pastors, as well as superintend- 
ents, have need to learn a lesson from the overseer 
in the fields and the foreman in the shops. Be 
specific 

3. Because the force of example is want- 



An Indispensable Condition of Success. 231 



ing. Those who succeed in getting most work 
from others are themselves models of energy. To 
put the matter in an unmistakable way, there is a 
great deal of downright official laziness in our 
Sunday-schools. Sunday talk unindorsed by week- 
day work is twaddle. Unfortunately, much Sun- 
day-school exhortation to activity, lacking the sup- 
port indicated, falls to that ridiculous level. If we 
would have live, working schools, we must put wide- 
awake, working men at the head of them — men 
who will take time from the service of Mammon, 
and consecrate it to God; men who are neither 
afraid nor ashamed to be known as " laboring men" 
in the field to which the Master has called them. 
" But we cannot find such men." Then the churches 
implicated are in a bad way ; and pastors are im- 
plicated. It is their business to educate and train 
their subordinates. Are men who will not submit 
to training fit for Church-membership? "Revi- 
vals" are common. What does a revival amount 
to, if men are not made willing workers? It is 
wild-fire. The man who will not work for Christ is 
no disciple of Christ, no matter what he professes. 
The Church is no insurance association, issuing 
paid-up policies ; it is no railway company, at whose 
office men and women purchase through tickets on 
profession of faith. What do people mean by say- 
ing the Church cannot furnish Sunday-school work- 



232 Week-day Work. 



ers? The worth of souls is the subject of revela- 
tion, their salvation its object, and the Church is 
the exponent of its principles and methods. Now, 
let the worth of the work for souls in the Sunday- 
schools be recognized and duly enforced; let the 
wisest workers explain more definitely how that 
work should be done, and winners of souls will be 
multiplied. 

Common Duties. — Special requirements 
growing out of special relations, important as they 
may be, must not be allowed to overshadow those 
which are common to all. Wishing to have a good 
school will not make it so. Work will ; but it must 
be cooperative. Nothing else can avail. Without 
concert of action, the most earnest personal effort 
falls short of the object. It is "according to the 
effectual w r orking in the measure of every part" 
that the whole body is to be developed and its well- 
being secured. Keep this thought in view. 

There is work for the whole school — 
for every member of it. The activity of a few can- 
not atone for the delinquencies of the many. The 
worth of a school is to be estimated by the meas- 
ure in which it performs its work as a body. To 
be a thoroughly good school, every part must be 
actuated by one spirit to the attainment of the one 
grand object set before it in the one text-book. An 
acknowledgment of these common obligations is 



An Indispensable Condition of Success. 233 



the forerunner of success, since without it their 
performance is not to be expected. The duty of 
officers and teachers is plain at this point, and need 
not be enlarged upon. 

Passing over the matter of personal advantage, 
we specify some of the more important week-day 
duties, and the manner in which they are to be 
discharged. In so doing, this question is replied 
to: How may the members of a Sunday-school 
work in its interest during the week? 



234 Week-day Work. 



CHAPTER II. 
STUDYING THE LESSON. 

Who ought to study the lesson ? With- 
out exception, every man, woman, and child con- 
nected with the school. Those who neither teach 
nor recite need to know the truth. If they do not 
learn it in this way, they are not likely to learn it 
at all. Aside from the pastor, who has superior 
opportunities, the superintendent should know the 
lesson better than any one else. If he does not 
study, he cannot, with a good grace, insist on oth- 
ers studying. If he does not know, he cannot 
teach. In every good word and work he must be 
foremost, especially in this. Without the force of 
example, no school can be brought to an earnest 
study of the lesson. And without such study no 
school can become attractive and influential for 
good. When people meet to talk about any thing, 
the more they know of the subject the more enter- 
taining and profitable the occasion will be to all. 
The contrary is equally true. Neglect of the les- 
son during the week is death to enjoyment of it on 
Sunday. More schools die from this than from 
any and all other causes combined. 

The lesson is the life of the school. 
Without it every movement is a mockery, and 
those who furnish the exciting force cannot but feel 



Studying the Lesson. 235 



that they are parties to a scandalous deception. 
The school that does not study lives only in name. 
When people say, " Our school seems to be dead," 
they are making a statement whose exact equiva- 
lent is this, " Our school is not studying the lesson." 
Every school that studies lives ; and every one that 
does not study dies, by a law as inflexible as that 
which made Eden what it was, and what it is. 
Let pastors and superintendents lay this to heart. 

The Student. — In the suggestions following, 
reference is had to a mind capable of independent 
thought. They are applicable alike to officer, 
teacher, or scholar, who may need assistance of 
this kind. Special wants are provided for else- 
where. 

The Process. — A celebrated recipe for cook- 
ing a hare begins with this advice, "First catch 
the hare." It is not at all impertinent to say to 
one who proposes studying a Bible lesson : 

1. Get Your Bible. Not the "old family Bible " 
— not another's, but yours, one you can keep con- 
stantly at hand ; one in good, clear type, with mar- 
ginal references, and durable binding; one you 
will not be afraid to mark in or write in with pen 
or pencil, as occasion requires. Every student 
ought to have such a book, and teachers ought to 
see that scholars are thus supplied. 

(1) Read the lesson text carefully Sunday after- 



236 Week-day Work. 



noon. Re-read it as often during the week as may 
be necessary to make yourself perfectly familiar 
with its subject-matter. 

(2) Memorize the w T ords of the text, if possible. 
This is not so difficult a task as would seem at first 
sight. The text is usually short, only a few verses, 
frequently something we almost know by heart. 
Carrying with us, in study, this idea of committing 
it perfectly is half the battle. The habit is soon 
formed, and a great advantage is gained. Exer- 
cise the memory in this way on every lesson. 

(3) Make a note of difficult words and phrases ; 
study their meaning as used in the Bible, so as to 
be able to translate them into the language of every- 
day life. 

(4) Study parallel passages for different views 
of the same event, or treatment of the same sub- 
ject ; also those similar. A change of stand-point 
is as necessary to the complete examination of a 
Bible truth as of natural objects. The "home 
readings" are of great value. Do not neglect 
them.* 

2. Make a Careful Analysis of the Sub- 
ject-matter of the Text. For young students 

* These scriptures are admirably adapted to family 
worship and devotional exercises of secular schools. When 
thus used they should be accompanied with brief explana- 
tions. 



Studying the Lesson. 237 



we know of no scheme more helpful than that il- 
lustrated in the letters P, P, D, D, D, D, represent- 
ing the Persons, Places, Dates, Doings (or details), 
Doctrines, and Duties. Inquire, 

(1) As to persons. By whom and to whom was 
this passage written, or addressed? Who are men- 
tioned ? Who are implied or referred to ? Who 
were they? Where did they live? 

(2) As to places. What places are mentioned 
or implied? Where located, size, distance and 
direction from Jerusalem ? For what remarkable ? 

(3) As to dates. When did these things occur? 
In what order of time ? On what specified day, 
hour, season of the year, or noted occasion? 

(4) As to doings. What transaction? How 
brought about? Who were the principal actors? 
Who were directly involved ? What peculiarities 
of speech, manners, and customs requiring further 
investigation? What followed as a result? 

Thus, with the aid of a concordance, Bible dic- 
tionary, maps, etc., the who, where, when, and what 
— the historical elements — are brought out. But 
true Bible study has a higher end than a mere col- 
lation of biographical, topographical, chronolog- 
ical, or historical details. However thoroughly 
these may have been mastered, our lesson without 
the doctrinal and practical elements is really no 
Bible lesson at all. We must inquire, 



238 Week-day Work. 



(5) As to doctrines. What truths are here taught 
concerning God? Concerning man? Concern- 
ing the relations of God and man? Concerning 
man's redemption through the atonement of Je- 
sus Christ? Concerning the present and future 
life of man? 

(6) As to duties. From the facts presented and 
the law in relation to these facts, what duties as to 
the formation of character and the government of 
conduct are here set forth ? What special personal 
duty ? What is this lesson for ? What is it to the 
world ? To the class ? To me ? 

3. Examine Lesson-helps. These, especially 
since the adoption of the International texts, have 
become so abundant, so cheap, and withal of such 
excellence, that the Bible student is left without 
excuse on this score. Do not stop with current 
notes in the periodical literature adopted by the 
school. Go to the standard commentaries, cyclo- 
pedias, etc. Use all available helps freely, but not 
slavishly. So long as they stimulate to independ- 
ent thought, and assist in the solution of difficulties, 
they are really helpful, but when they are made to 
substitute original investigation, they are positive 
hinderances. The value of mathematical studies 
lies in the solving of problems for one's self, not in 
assenting to answers furnished by others. It is 
agreed by all writers upon this subject that the 



Studying the Lesson. 239 



lesson should be diligently studied before outside 
opinions are appealed to. 

Truth is many-sided. As, for the best of rea- 
sons, we prefer to exercise our own perceptive fac- 
ulties in the discovery of the good, the true, the 
beautiful, in nature or in art, rather than to listen 
to a description from others, so it should be in the 
study of God's word. Eye-sight is better than 
hearsay. Having looked into the lesson, under it, 
on all sides of it, and especially above it, to Him 
who through it speaks to us, we may take testimony 
from other witnesses to guard against mistake as 
to its meaning. By such comparison of views our 
information will be supplemented, erroneous and 
imperfect conclusions corrected, and solid attain- 
ments be made. But we must have a care, lest, 
seeking safety in the multitude of counselors, we 
run into confusion. Many a truth-seeker, rushing 
from one authority to another, has lost his reckon- 
ing and been buried in the fog. 

4. Ask for the Spirit's Help. Not once, but 
often — not in an extremity only, but constantly. 
Our best prayers are those offered, not at the end of 
our own strength, but before we have presumed upon 
it. We see only the casket until the Spirit, coming 
and opening it, takes of the precious things of God, 
and shows them unto us. God keeps the key. 
We must call upon him if we would have the 



240 Week-day Work. 



"Spirit use it in our behalf. The man that never 
prays will never know the revelations of His wisdom 
and love. " One hour of prayer over a passage of 
Scripture/' says an eminent Bible student, "is 
worth ten hours among the commentaries." To 
study a lesson without prayer is to court defeat. 
"Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall 
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." 
God withholds only as we refuse. "For every one 
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh find- 
eth ; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.'' 
The right way is always the best way, and 
taken from beginning to end it is also the easiest. 
There will be in the minds of some who read these 
pages one serious objection to the plan of study 
proposed. It requires hard work. That stands 
confessed. If there is any way of getting a lesson, 
whether the text-book be sacred or secular, other 
than by working for it, the writer has never dis- 
covered it. We must protest against making a 
dishonorable exception of the Bible as a text-book. 
To allow T that a Sunday-school lesson may be 
learned more easily than lessons of the same grade 
in the secular school, is to pervert the truth. It is 
to subject the revelation of God to contempt in 
the eyes of pupils who know by daily experience 
what hard study means ; who, out of this experi- 
ence, have learned to estimate knowledge by the 



Studying the Lesson. 241 



effort it costs them. They know that " cramming 
for recitation" is an empty deceit, and that "rid- 
ing a pony" is a discreditable proceeding. We 
often hear it said, 

u We cannot get our scholars to study 
the lesson." Viewing the matter in the light 
in which they see it, they are in most cases not so 
greatly to blame. For are not those who teach 
them "crammers?" and do they not bring their 
lesson Magazines to the class and ingloriously 
"pony" through the whole recitation? How are 
the scholars to keep up, if they do not ride ? So 
they betake themselves to their Quarterlies, and 
canter along over the course at the heels of the 
teachers. They know how to read. They have 
found a royal road to learning a Sunday-school 
lesson. What is the use of them bothering their 
brains over the matter during the week ? There it 
is, and there it will remain until the standard of 
study in our Sunday-schools is raised to the level 
of that required in schools devoted to secular edu- 
cation. That we cannot compel unwilling scholars 
to come up to it is no reason for denying those who 
would the privilege of doing so. Any standard is 
better than none. 
16 



242 Week-day Work. 



CHAPTER III. 
OTHEE DUTIES. 

"All at it, and Always at it." — It is to 

be borne in mind that we are now considering how 
we may utilize the entire membership of the school. 
We are prone to forget the influence scholars are 
capable of exerting in behalf of the school. They 
are not included in the estimate of our working 
forces as they should be. We depend too exclu- 
sively upon the efforts of officers and teachers. The 
school runs down, and a big rally is called to save 
it. Mutuality of interest is essential. Every 
scholar should be made to feel that he is, to the 
extent of his influence, personally responsible for 
the character of the school. Each one must be 
brought to feel that he has stock in it — that to 
share in its dividends he must also contribute to 
the general fund. Thus we should urge as duties 
common to every member, in addition to lesson 
study, 

1. Canvassing for New Pupils. — Wide- 
awake attention here would increase some schools 
a hundred-fold in a few weeks. Let all be trained 
to bring in those who may thus be induced to at- 
tend, and to report to a committee the names of 
others who can only be reached by special process. 
Keep a sharp lookout for visitors and strangers. 



Other Duties. 243 



Courteously entreat them. We are often grossly 
at fault here. Do not overlook the poor, the ig- 
norant, the degraded. Do unto them as you would 
have them do unto you. Ignoring these, a school 
forfeits its claim to recognition as a school of Christ. 
If a deadly blight settles upon it, the reason is 
evident. Encourage a thorough canvass, but be 
careful to maintain the strictest integrity in it. 
The zeal of thoughtless persons is liable to carry 
them beyond the bounds of propriety. Do not, for 
an instant, tolerate the invasion of other folds. 

2. Looking After Absentees.— Careless- 
ness in this particular is one of our most grievous 
faults. It is perhaps the weakest point along the 
whole line of our benevolent operations. Getting 
people into the Sunday-school is a light task as 
compared with keeping them there. Music, prizes, 
and picnics will bring them, but it takes pluck to 
hold them. Our in-door grip is too feeble. It 
needs more out-door exercise. The solicitude that 
runs itself so out of breath on Sunday as to be 
laid up for a week thereafter is not worth much 
as a retaining force. It lacks bottom. It cannot 
wrestle with sin. It is, therefore, of no service to 
sinners. 

We need to realize the worth of souls, the sig- 
nificance of the cross of Christ, and the worth of 
work by which lost ones are held under its saving 



244 Week-day Work. 



influence. We need to remember that our pupils, 
straying from the school, are wandering from the 
cross. We need to feel that it is our imperative 
duty to go after them, and keep after them until 
they are brought back. We need to make them 
feel that we are in dead earnest about this busi- 
ness. And we never can do it, never, until Sunday 
words are backed by week-day w T ork for their re- 
covery. Our care for them is shown by what we 
do for them, rather than what we say to them. To 
let the absence of a single scholar pass unnoticed 
is to advertise him that we do not care for him. 
If he takes the hint and acts accordingly, the 
fault is ours no less than his. No superintendent 
is discharging his whole duty who does not require 
his teachers to account weekly, in writing or other- 
wise, for every absent pupil. And the teacher who 
refuses to do so is disloyal to both the superintend- 
ent and his class. 

How are teachers to meet so heavy a 
requirement ? (1) By personal visitation as 
far as possible ; (2) by appointing certain members 
of the class to assist them ; (3) by sending notes, 
or printed blanks, of inquiry, to be filled up by 
parents and returned. All this means work, of 
course. This chapter is devoted to work, nothing 
else. Two things, love and system, will make it 
comparatively light, but for all that it will still be 



Other Duties. 245 



work — without which there is no promise of reward. 
The marking of every absence and the recovery of 
every absentee should be made cardinal principles 
in every Sunday-school. By as much as they are 
ignored, by just so much will we drift from our 
true course, and fail of attaining the end of our 
high calling of God in Jesus Christ. 

3. Educating Public Sentiment. — Ev- 
ery school has character, just like an individual ; 
and it is, in every instance, precisely what its mem- 
bers determine it shall be — good, bad, or indifferent. 
The conditions under which it must labor will be 
powerfully influenced by the favorable or unfavor- 
able opinion of it held by the community in which 
it is located. Its reputation is in the keeping of 
those who compose it. They represent it, and upon 
their representations it rises or falls in public es- 
teem. The popular sentiment thus created reacts 
upon the school with absolute certainty, and with 
decided effect. These facts are not sufficiently 
considered in this land of free speech. People fre- 
quently talk too much as they please, and not so 
much as they ought, about the Sunday-school with 
which they happen to be connected. With some 
it is adverse criticism, or nothing. They seem de- 
termined to see nothing commendable in the school. 
They lose no opportunity of " running it down " — 
a meanness of which many are guilty without sus- 



246 Week-day Work. 



pecting it. Passing over in silence every thing 
meritorious and praiseworthy, they employ their 
talents in seeking out and parading defects, in 
making invidious comparisons. Is it mean ? Let 
us see. 

Suppose a man of this class has some property 
he wishes to dispose of — a horse, say ; does he point 
out all the nag's blemishes and conceal all his good 
qualities ? Nay, verily. He has too much " horse 
sense " for that. In speaking of his family, does 
he talk much of the "black sheep?" Not much. 
Gr, coming a little closer, does he advertise the 
family jars of his immediate domestic circle? Not 
if he be a man. Closer still, if one of the chil- 
dren, by some misfortune, be marred in face or 
form, does he forget the comeliness of all the rest 
in his eagerness to point out the deformities of this 
one ? Not if he has a heart. 

Our Sunday-schools need talking up. 
Let those who are conducting them seriously con- 
sider whether there are not many, possibly for want 
of a good example, talking them down, who might, 
on proper representation, be induced to use their 
tongues to better purpose. Might not those who 
are dumb be taught to say a good word for the 
school now and then? If we would have the 
school respected, we must speak respectfully of it. 
This may be done in all sincerity. May we not 



Other Duties. 247 



even speak with a degree of enthusiasm, and yet 
without hypocrisy ? If the school, no matter how 
apparently insignificant, is the exponent of a de- 
sire to save souls through the power of God's word 
and Spirit, we may, and ought to, so speak. To 
build up every organization having such a pur- 
pose is a Christian duty ; doubly true of those be- 
longing to it. It is the duty of every member of a 
Sunday-school to talk for it during the week. 

4. Praying One for Another. — Is there 
not reason to fear that we have among us prayer- 
less Sunday-schools? There are numerous cases 
where, if, outside of the formal act of worship in 
the opening exercises, any messages are sent to 
heaven for help, schools have no knowledge of the 
fact, and certainly have little reason to suspect such 
a thing. Even the formality alluded to is some- 
times omitted for want of " a praying man." Then 
again, we find places where we have reason to be- 
lieve the school is made a subject of prayer during 
the week. But it is, at last, no more than a belief. 
Why should such a fact, where it exists, be con- 
cealed ? 

Pastors, officers, and teachers, ought to 
pray regularly and earnestly for the school. The 
duty is plain and need not be enlarged upon. 
There is another: that of influencing scholars to 
pray with and for them. But how can they, except 



248 Week-day Work. 



the force of example be added to precept ? When 
they are made to feel and know that the anxiety 
expressed for them has reached the praying point, 
many a doubt will be dissolved, many a heart will 
be melted, many a prayerless one will pray, and 
many a praying one will be blessed. Do we pray 
for our scholars during the week as we ought ? Do 
they know it, as they ought ? Do we ask them to 
pray for us ? In the best schools all these things 
receive attention. 



The Pastor's Work. 249 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE PASTOK'S WOKK. 

The claims which the school has upon its pastor 
can never be discharged by any amount of service 
he may render on Sunday. As a leader, he must 
not only keep abreast with the school, but ahead 
of it — which means in most cases that he must do 
some real hard school-work during the week ; for 
example, 

He will have to study the current les- 
sons faithfully. The man who goes in and out 
before a school as a pastor should know more about 
the lesson for the day than any one else connected 
with that school, except, perchance, a local minis- 
ter. If he does, then he stands in his proper rela- 
tion of teacher-in-chief; if he does not, he falls be- 
low it. Just to the extent he misses that mark his 
ministerial influence is gone. Too many preachers, 
without valid excuse, do miss it fearfully. Some, 
who seem quite unconcerned about the matter, 
would be stung to the quick if they only knew the 
almost ruinous discount this fact is imposing upon 
their ministerial services. Let those who, conscious- 
ly suffering, seek a reason for the diminution of 
their influence push their inquiries in this direction. 
The course of study prescribed for the scholars be- 
ing pursued by the pastor will increase his power 



250 Week-day Work. 



for good in the homes, in the school-room, in the 
prayer-meeting, and in the pulpit. 

He must devote himself to investiga- 
tion of the purpose, plans, and meth- 
ods of the Sunday-school, as suggested in 
another chapter, if he would acquire a just pre- 
eminence. What he thus learns from reading, at- 
tendance upon conventions, institutes, etc., must by 
patient process be digested, and -so assimilated with 
original ideas as to find practical application in the 
school or schools in his charge. All this costs time 
and pains, but it pays handsomely. The best pas- 
tors are among the busiest of men. Having a great 
deal to do, they put in full time working at it dur- 
ing the week, instead of wishing for it on Sunday. 
The point discoverable in this remark is intended 
for whom it may concern. 

Social Work. — The good pastor will not for- 
get that certain persons are his helpers in the gos- 
pel ; that they sometimes long for sympathy, ad- 
vice, encouragement, and that they expect these 
things of him. Knowing his duty, he does not 
wait for the subject to be thrust upon him, but in 
the most appropriate way proceeds to its develop- 
ment. He gets into the experiences of his officers, 
and tries to have the right word for each one; 
dropping a compliment here, a caution there, a 
hint yonder; suggesting this plan, and indorsing 



The Pastor's Work. 251 



or disapproving that; leaving all the wiser and 
better for his conferences with them. Such a man 
will never be troubled with " side-track " schools. 
He does n't leave the switches open. 

He will make it a point to become 
personally acquainted with the schol- 
ars, so that none shall escape his notice at home 
or abroad. They like to be recognized. A nod, 
a kindly word, a friendly grasp of the hand, opens 
the way to their hearts, and attaches them to him. 
Some say they have a bad memory — cannot re- 
member names and faces. They ought to get a 
copy of the secretary's roll, carry it in their pock- 
et, and cultivate the defective faculty. It is no 
small part of a preacher's business to remember 
people, the young as well as the old, whether of 
the Church or not. 

In pastoral visitations the young 
folks will be inquired after by the discreet 
pastor, and talked to as members of the Sunday- 
school. The class and the lesson will be discussed, 
and habits of study looked into. The duty of parents 
furnishing assistance in the preparation of the les- 
son will crop out in conversation at the proper time 
and in the most convincing way. Before praying 
with the family, the Bible lesson for the ensuing 
Sunday, or one of the "home readings," will prob- 
ably be read and commented upon when attention 



252 Week-day Work. 



has been quickened by a question or two. After 
this pastor is gone, the young people will think 
more of him than ever, and the old heads will very 
likely have a well-defined notion that it would be 
a right worthy thing for them to go to the school 
with their children, instead of sending them as 
heretofore. 

In the teachers'-meeting the wise pastor 
will contribute all he can by active participation 
to make the occasion pleasant and profitable. At 
the weekly prayer-meeting he will read and ex- 
pound the text of the International Series which 
constitutes the lesson for the following Sunday. 
Brief remarks from others, previously notified, 
may be introduced. If regarded as the most 
available time and place, the teachers' class, in- 
cluding all who can be induced to remain, will 
meet immediately after dismission. Where cir- 
cumstances seem to justify such a thing, he may, 
by agreement, occasionally catechise upon the les- 
son before dismission, and thus demolish the mid- 
dle wall of partition separating Church and school. 
There is no telling how many such happy combi- 
nations are possible to a thoroughly wide-awake 
pastor. 

In the meetings of his "official board," in the 
"session," "Quarterly Conference," and other like 
places, he will see that affairs in the Sunday-school 



The Pastor's Work. 253 



department receive proper attention. He knows 
the seductiveness of the pew-rent and "quarter- 
age" question in such bodies. In his travels he 
has probably seen some that spent their time in 
nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new 
(?) thing about raising the preacher's salary. If 
he has looked into the records for the reasons, he has 
found, among numerous others of like character, 
this, transcribed from the back of an old envelope : 

We have 3 Sunday-schools of our own, and 4 union 
schools in which we have an interest — all in tolerably good 
condition. Respectfully submitted, Calvin Wesley Spred- 
iggle, P. C. Dawdleville, 3d round. N. B. — We will or- 
ganize at Richburg as soon as we get money enough to 
purchase literature. Collections are being taken for that 
purpose. 

This pastor of whom we have been speaking 
does n't have the fear of the recording secretary 
before his eyes when he gets up his report. He 
"itemizes," so there can be no mistake. Having 
a natural and acquired antipathy to the starvation 
policy, he defends the Sunday-school against it, 
and insists upon the Church devising liberal things 
in support of its schools. He is not afraid to cite 
instances in which schools have been reduced to 
beggary, and condemns in plain terms the financial 
trickery in which the scholars are being educated. 
He talks of the school as an institution of the 



254 Week-day Work. 



Church, and exhorts his official members to sustain 
it by their legislation, their prayers, and their pres- 
ence. But he does, not do all the talking. He 
draws out the superintendent and others, and when 
affairs have been sufficiently canvassed, insists upon 
definite action. In all these and many other ways 
the pastor who cares for the Sunday-school will 
work for it during the week. 



The Superintendent's Work. 255 



CHAPTER V. 
THE SUPEKINTENDENT'S WOKK. 

If attention has been paid to what has been pre- 
sented elsewhere * concerning the duties of the su- 
perintendent, but little will be required here. If 
that has been neglected, what might be added 
would not be likely to serve any valuable purpose. 
It is worthy of remark that the " common duties," 
mentioned above, should find their fullest exem- 
plification in the life of the superintendent ; and 
that, with slight excejption, every thing predicated 
of the pastor in the preceding chapter may, with 
the utmost propriety, be classed among the require- 
ments of the superintendent's office. One of the 
first things a man appointed to this position needs 
to learn is that he can never become really efficient 
in it without performing the week-day work it im- 
poses. There can be no such thing as a good su- 
perintendency without it. 

System. — Most superintendents are busy men; 
the best have least idle time. Hence, in order to 
meet the demands the school makes upon them, 
they must be quite systematic. When the school 
is large, one must have a plan, and a resolute pur- 
pose to abide by it in all its details of study, visit- 
ations, etc. In its wider scope it should embrace 

*See Chapters IV. and Y. ; Part Fifth. 



256 Week-day Work. 



and, in some measure control, the operations of his 
subordinates. Securing energetic and concerted 
action will bring into play his executive talent; as 
the discharge of obligations strictly personal will 
develop the spiritual nature of a superintendent 
to a degree that will amply compensate him for 
all care. No one can conscientiously fulfill the re- 
quirements of this office without becoming, day by 
day, a better man. 

The Records. — Every superintendent should 
have a pocket record containing the roll of mem- 
bers. Running the eye over this from time to 
time will be found of great assistance to the mem- 
ory in the identification of pupils. To know every 
one of them by sight is a most worthy ambition, 
and no superintendent should be satisfied with him- 
self until he has used every means to secure its 
accomplishment. One who does n't care to know 
them is not worthy of the office. By having the 
secretary to w T rite up in this book, during each ses- 
sion, a statistical summary, the superintendent may 
at any time see at a glance the condition of his 
school. By consulting this record early in the 
week, he has a safe basis of facts upon which to 
lay out plans for the work before him. Jotting 
down, in the way of memoranda, ideas that occur 
to him from time to time as he thinks of possible 
improvement in the affairs of the school, and mak- 



The Superintendent's Work. 257 



ing it a repository for his own best thoughts upon 
the lesson, we see how extremely useful such a 
book becomes in the hands of an earnest superin- 
tendent. No man makes an efficient superintend- 
ent who fails to study the records, and that is about 
the last thing some of them think of. In such 
case the school is probably running the superin- 
tendent. 

Visiting. — The social element gives power to 
the Sunday-school as a religious institution. Under 
the promptings of religion, social life reaches its 
highest development and finds its noblest and most 
legitimate expressions. The man who has n't re- 
ligion enough to make him sociable may be ortho- 
dox enough, according to " the standards," but he 
lacks one thing needful to make him an acceptable 
and useful superintendent. In order to make him- 
self felt as he ought, he must cultivate a fraternal 
spirit toward those with whom he is associated, and 
he must give it full play both in and out of the 
school-room. Whether he feels like it or not, 

He ought to visit his teachers to talk 
about the work, and he ought to encourage them 
to visit him. Any thing obstructing the channel 
of social and religious intercourse between him 
and them breaks the current of influence by 
which the scholars are to be brought into fellow- 
ship with Christ. Any person unworthy of the so- 
17 



258 Week-day Work. 



cial recognition suggested is unfit for a Sunday- 
school teacher. To have such a person in his 
school is a shame to any superintendent; and it is 
no less a shame to the Church to have a man at 
the head of the school who, in obedience to the 
heartless conventionalities of the week-day world, 
would cut the acquaintance of any one belonging 
to his accredited corps of teachers. If this social 
compact were strengthened by a more frequent in- 
terchange of Christian civilities and conferences 
during the week, there would be a great deal less 
complaint in some places about absent teachers on 
Sunday. Whenever a teacher is absent, it is the 
superintendent's duty to know the reason why. 
Fidelity in this regard will w T in respect for his au- 
thority when he imposes a like obligation upon his 
teachers with respect to absent scholars. When 
scholars are reported sick, he should seek early 
opportunity to see them in person. 

There are some homes represented in ev- 
ery school to which the superintendent 
should give special attention. They are 
in a general way those which are least attractive. 
Who is it that most needs pastoral care? The 
w r eak, the wayward, the worst. The superintend- 
ent who follows the Good Shepherd closest will go 
farthest to save them. He it is who will be of all 
men busiest, and yet readiest with a smile, a nod 



The Superintendent's Work. 259 



of the head, or other mark of recognition, and a 
word of encouragement for anybody belonging to 
his Sunday-school. He will also find both time 
and inclination for frequent consultations with the 
pastor. 

The School-room. — The official character 
of a superintendent can be pretty accurately de- 
termined from the condition of his school-room on 
Sunday morning. Whether the building be brick, 
frame, log, marble, or adobe, makes no difference. 
If that school-room is in good order, the superin- 
tendent is probably a good officer ; if it is not, you 
may depend upon it he either does n't understand 
his business or is too lazy to attend to it. He may 
be very punctilious in shaving his face and polish- 
ing his foot-gear on Saturday evening, out of re- 
spect to the Sabbath, but for all that, if he doesn't 
exercise himself to secure the comfort of his school, 
he is straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. 
The condition of some of our places of worship is 
an outrage upon decency, and some of us who are 
preachers and superintendents are largely respon- 
sible for it. Sputtering about what "they" ought 
to do, and berating unpaid sextons, is all stuff. 
Whenever a preacher or a superintendent makes up 
his mind to have a respectable place in which to 
conduct public exercises, he is very apt to get it — 
if he is of any account as a leader. A leader, in 



260 Week-day Work. 



the last analysis of his character, is "a go-ahead 
man." The superintendent who doesn't get far 
enough ahead in a week to make the school com- 
fortable for an hour, when they overtake him on 
Sunday morning, may be a clever sort of person, 
but he is evidently not a man of "leading ability ." 
If the school-room needs repairs, scrubbing, fuel, 
any thing, the superintendent should give the 
people no rest, day nor night, until the thing is ac- 
complished. 

Ready. — Thus planning, praying, working, 
Sunday morning will find the superintendent ready 
for an hour of intense activity. He will have an 
exact programme before him, embracing every de- 
tail to be required of himself or others during the 
session. A memorandum having been made of 
items likely to escape notice at the proper time, 
and with a consciousness of having neglected no 
opportunity for advancing the best interests of the 
school, he will meet it with the air of a man con- 
secrated to the achievement of a noble purpose, fer- 
tile in resources and confident of success. In such 
a case, he cannot but feel that God is with him. 



The librarian's work, although limited in 
extent, has an important bearing upon the interests 
of the school. If he has charge of a circulating 
library, it will, from time to time, demand week- 



The Superintendent's Work. 261 



day attentions, which must be given or serious dam- 
age will result. What these are need not be de- 
tailed. The notion that this officer has nothing to 
do but to hand out books called for on Sunday, and 
to put them back on the shelves when returned, is 
both prevalent and preposterous. It is his busi- 
ness to keep track of all the books he issues, and, if 
he has a mind to attend to it, will consider it no 
hardship to work at it a little during the week. 

The secretary and treasurer can, by 
official accuracy and dispatch in correspondence, 
statistics, and financial matters, contribute largely 
to the school's prosperity. Plans for development 
in their departments should engage the attention 
of these officers more largely than is usual. 



262 Week-day Work. 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE TEACHEK'S WOEK. 

A Motive. — "Hearing a lesson" in Sunday- 
school, especially a reading lesson, is a small bus- 
iness. It is better than nothing, perhaps, but no 
really earnest man or woman in charge of a class 
will be satisfied with it. The inconsistency of such 
a limitation of influence, such a trifling with op- 
portunity, such a disregard for momentous spirit- 
ual interests, must, on the least reflection, bring 
any one who practices it into self-condemnation. 
The teacher who sits often at the feet of Jesus will 
find much to do during the week, and the best of 
motives for doing it — for very love's sake. The 
things a consecrated teacher can see to be done, 
and the w T ays he can discover for doing them, are 
practically numberless. So far from avoiding re- 
sponsibility, he will strive to become a living epistle 
to his class — a daily example to them of the unself- 
ish grace begotten in his heart by the faith of the 
Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. 

Visiting. — Loving his scholars, the teacher 
will visit them. He will not only make it a busi- 
ness, but also a delight. The professed friendship of 
Sunday will be proved on Monday, and on every oth- 
er week-day, by substantial tokens of self-sacrifice. 

Absent scholars will excite active solicitude. 



The Teacher's Work. 263 



" What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she 
lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep 
the house, and seek diligently till she find it?" 
Either what man, if he have a sheep, an ox, a horse 
estray, doth not give himself to seeking its recov- 
ery ? Is not one scholar of more value than one 
of these? The teacher who finds comfort in the 
fact that God sees the falling sparrow, and num- 
bers the hairs of our head, will never forget an ab- 
sent pupil, nor let a week pass without seeking to 
bring him back, nor let him get finally away with- 
out a mighty struggle. It was the red-handed 
Cain who said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" It 
was the loving Christ who said, " The good shep- 
herd giveth his life for the sheep." 

Visit the sick, go often, and be sure always 
to leave with them some simple memento of your 
love — a paper, a picture-card, a flower, a book, a 
tempting morsel of food, a garment, if need require, 
but above all, O teacher ! fragrant words of tender 
sympathy, of faith, of hope, of Christ. God pity 
us ! withholding these and refusing tears, the king- 
liest jewels of a soul sincere, how often our minis- 
trations, divested of all spiritual significance, con- 
front us as a solemn mockery ! By reading to them 
in their hours of weariness, by praying with them 
in their helplessness, by doing unto them as w T e 
should wish them to do unto us, our Sabbath les- 



264 ' Week-day Work. 



sons of faith and love become incarnate life before 
the eyes of our scholars, drawing them to us and 
lifting them heavenward as no amount of ghostly 
precept will or can. 

Look into the homes of your pupils. 
Visit them at their places of business. See how 
they live, and what they are living for. Study the 
influences to which they are exposed, the atmos- 
phere in which their lives are taking shape. Get 
the hearts of the fathers and mothers, and turn 
them in the direction of assisting the children in 
the weekly preparation of the lesson. Invite them 
to the Sunday-school and Church services. Inquire 
after their neighbors' children, and get them to 
help you bring into the school such as are not at- 
tending elsewhere. Make a note of all the facts, 
and report to the teachers'-meeting, the special 
committee, the superintendent, the pastor. 

The true teacher will enroll the names 
of his pupils among those of his special 
friends. With him, "my scholars" means my 
disciples — my friends — no matter what their social 
status may be. Having taken them into his heart, he 
will not shut them out of his home, no matter how 
fine it may be. He will find a place for them, a 
time to meet them, and a way to make them happy. 
Many a poor little waif, having found in his Sun- 
day-school teacher the first real friend he ever knew, 



The Teacher's Work. 265 



and in that teacher's residence the first real home 
he ever entered, has been made to feel that life is 
worth living, and to resolve in his heart to be 
somebody in the great world about him. The 
teacher who does not encourage his class to visit 
him is blind to a sacred opportunity. Invite them 
to tea. Go with them on little picnic excursions 
to the woods. Give them an evening reception in 
your parlor, doing your best with music and con- 
versation to show your appreciation of them, and 
you will find a new joy in the work of winning souls. 
Letter- writing. — Those who know the pleas- 
ure it affords a child to receive a letter written and 
directed "just to me, and nobody else," will not be 
slow to perceive the good effects possible through 
this means. It is being extensively used by the 
best teachers — not to substitute but to supplement 
visiting. It is frequently the only way in which 
scholars can be reached on the subject of personal 
religion. But nothing should be said that the 
teacher would not, on suitable opportunity, be 
willing to express verbally. Encourage scholars 
to write to you. Keep up a correspondence with 
the class when abroad. A short letter opened and 
read to them in the school-room will increase their 
regard and strengthen your influence. Pastors 
and superintendents may, if they choose, accept 
this as a hint in their direction. 



266 Week-day Work. 



CHAPTER VII. 
PKEPAKING TO TEACH. 

The very first thing is to get one's own 
heart right, by giving it to God to be filled with 
his Spirit, that the unsearchable riches of Christ 
may be revealed. "To know the love of Christ 
which passeth knowledge" is the thing above all 
others the teacher needs to know. Without a per- 
sonal experience of this love, he may teach much 
that is valuable; that which is absolutely essential 
he cannot teach. The disciples of Jesus, as a nor- 
mal class, had kept him company for years ; had 
heard his wonderful w T ords of life; had studied his 
methods, witnessed his miracles, his sufferings, death, 
resurrection, ascension. Were they not competent 
witnesses? Not yet. " Tarry ye in the city of Je- 
rusalem," said the Master, " until ye be endued with 
pow r er from on high." Not until the day of Pen- 
tecost had come, and with it " a sound from heaven 
as of a rushing mighty wind," and "cloven tongues 
as of fire;" not until "they were all filled with the 
Holy Ghost," the crowning evidence for all the 
ages to come of God's acceptance of the final Sacri- 
fice for sin ; not until then were they competent wit- 
nesses to the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. It w T as 
this "power from on high" that enabled them, when 
commanded "not to speak at all, nor teach in the 



Preparing to Teach. 267 



name of Jesus," to reply for themselves and their 
successors unto the end of the world, "Whether 
it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto 
you more than unto God, judge ye; for we can- 
not but speak the things which we have seen and 
heard." 

The Spirit-filled teacher is Heaven's accredited 
messenger to dying men. Others, believing, may 
teach what they believe; he who has received the 
gift of the Holy Ghost, knowing the truth, teaches 
what he knows. Salvation by faith is to him an 
accomplished fact, and heavenly peace a present 
realization. He knows — as all, thank God, may 
know ; as all who teach in the name of Christ are 
required to know. The one great, incomparable 
need in the teaching service of the Church to-day 
is "power from on high." 

The teacher whose heart is right will 
seek to improve his mind. The fact that 
he is a teacher will be among his foremost motives 
for doing so, a fact which he cannot allow himself 
to forget amid the pressing duties of daily life. 
The processes in gaining and retaining knowledge 
are too intricate to be more than hinted at in this 
connection. There must be — 

1. A desire for knowledge of every thing worth 
knowing, for truth in all its manifestations. The 
man who does not care to know need not try to 



268 Week-day Work. 



teach. Truth-seeking is an essential prerequisite 
to true teaching. Get the broadest bird's-eye view 
of things you can. Then — 

2. Study most carefully that which is most im- 
portant for you to understand. Make a specialty 
of it. When thorough in one department, take up 
another in the same way. 

3. Do not undertake too much at first. Begin 
with something you know you can accomplish; 
concentrate all the faculties upon that, and train 
them regularly in prompt obedience to the will. 
As your powers expand, increase the task. " Learn 
to labor and to wait." Mr. Wesley's motto is a 
good one : "Always busy ; never in a hurry." 

4. Self-culture comes of seizing swift opportuni- 
ties, economizing fragments of time. "If your 
hands must work, train your brain to work at the 
same time. When your feet tread the clods, let 
your thoughts sweep the skies." Give the intellect 
room in which to exercise, and growth is sure to 
follow. 

5. Memory is the custodian of the mind's treas- 
ures. As such it should be made as strong and 
vigilant as possible, in order to hold that which is 
intrusted to it. But the value of things lies not so 
much in their possession as in our ability to use 
them. The memory should therefore be trained to 
such systematic disposition of knowledge that it 



Preparing to Teach. 269 



may be brought forward promptly on demand. 
Some things will escape. It must be trained to 
fleetness in apprehending them. Recollection is 
defined as " memory with the will in it." This fac- 
ulty is easily cultivated. Give it something defi- 
nite to hold, charge it with that specific thing, and 
furnish a substantial reason as an incentive to fidel- 
ity. Test it every day. Show your confidence in 
it by sending it out to exercise without a memo- 
randum-book to lean on. Give it plenty to do, but 
not too much. Have it do the same thing over 
and over again, until it is ready to complain of fa- 
tigue; then encourage it by telling over what it 
has done. Give it full benefit of the law of asso- 
ciation — linking ideas new and old together, like 
with like. Keep up the practice. "'Only once' 
makes a dunce; 'over again ' makes men." 

6. Take Paul's advice to Timothy — "Give at- 
tendance to reading." Read costly literature — 
that which will cost you an effort in the reading. 
We speak now of reading to profit. Mental dys- 
pepsia comes of devouring much literary trash, 
and not a few Sunday-school teachers are on the 
non-effective list from this cause. Periodicals, val- 
uable as they are, should not be allowed to usurp 
the place of good, solid books. Select for special 
study such works as are most helpful — those fur- 
nishing lesson material, and those in which the best 



270 Week-day Work. 



methods of presenting and enforcing truth are em- 
ployed, When an idea strikes you with peculiar 
force, look for a reason in the author's handling of 
it. In pursuit of knowledge the end must be kept 
in sight. As Mr. Wesley said concerning money, 
"Get all you can, keep all you can, give all you 
can." 

7. Every teacher who can should own a stand- 
ard "Teacher's Bible" and a Bible dictionary. If 
able to add other volumes, so much the better, but 
these two are considered indispensable. It is high 
time we were waking up to the fact that if a Sun- 
day-school teacher is to do good work, he must, 
like the best workers in other spheres, supply him- 
self with the right kind of instruments. The value 
to the teacher of a Bible such as the Oxford edi- 
tion, containing several hundred pages of addi- 
tional matter exactly adapted to his wants, can 
scarcely be exaggerated. No Bible-student, hav- 
ing examined one of these, will be content without 
it. Beginning with this as a foundation, there are 
few who cannot, by practicing economy to this end, 
come into possession of the few choice volumes 
they actually need. By forming a club, the teach- 
ers of any given school may have a library in com- 
mon. It should be centrally located, and access- 
ible to its members at any hour of the day during 



Preparing to Teach. 271 



the week. In this way the more costly commenta- 
ries, cyclopedias, etc., may be brought within the 
reach of all. 

The Lesson. — The manner in which it should 
be studied, as to its contents, has been discussed ; 
but we must look at it from a new stand-point. A 
well-known lesson editor * says: "One hour spent 
in learning what to teach requires two hours of 
study how T to teach it. If you find it necessary to 
change the maxim, increase the emphasis given to 
the how." As considerable space will be given to 
this phase of the subject in another chapter, we re- 
mark briefly : 

Every teacher, to do his best, must 
be largely original in his methods of prepa- 
ration, as w r ell as in his manner of teaching. Saul's 
armor was too much for the shepherd boy. The 
sling suited his purpose better. He used that. 
Later, he wielded the sword of Goliath. Adopt 
no inflexible methods. Above all, do not slavishly 
follow the scheme laid down in the lesson-sheets. 
The editor constructs a "skeleton," but no one is 
required to go arm in arm with it before the class. 
Some, however, most religiously do that very thing 
the year round, and wonder why they cannot "get 
up an interest." The lack of originality is fatal. 
Study plans ; test them ; then use that which suits 

-Hazard. 



272 Week-day Work. 



you best, but be sure not to go to the class without 
one. 

Put yourself in the place of your schol- 
ars. Assume, as nearly as possible, their mental 
and spiritual relation to the lesson. Now raise the 
inquiry, What truths of the lesson, in this relation, 
are of most importance? and how may they be 
most deeply impressed? 

Illustrations must be used, if one would 
teach efficiently. They light up the lesson, reveal- 
ing its beauty, its strength, its utility. Those com- 
ing up spontaneously in the act of teaching are 
often the very best, but we cannot depend upon 
their occurrence. The habit of seeking and treas- 
uring material of this kind should be formed by 
every teacher. To this end, with the lesson in 
mind as a nucleus, 

1. Keep a blank-book in the pocket, or near at 
hand, in which to note illustrations originating in 
private reflection, in conversations, in observations 
of current events, in reading, etc. 

2. The newspapers abound with excellent illus- 
trative matter. Mark — or better, clip at once — 
that suited to your purpose, and put it into an en- 
velope. Items of permanent value may be assort- 
ed, placed in a series of envelopes appropriately la- 
beled, and afterward systematically arranged in a 
a scrap-book. 



Preparing to Teach. 273 



3. Talk much with "children and plain people" 
about the lesson, and you will be almost forced 
into the habit of which we are speaking. 

4. Listen to the voice of God in nature, and he 
will not only fill your head and heart, but will also 
train your hands to find gems of materialized 
thought with which you may delight the eyes of 
your class, and at the same time instruct their 
souls. " Consider the lilies of the field," said the 
Master. Why not take such things into the school- 
room often er than we do ? 

5. The Bible is an inexhaustible source. There 
is nothing like it. In the art of illustration Jesus 
stands supreme. Study his methods. 

6. In all your seeking do not overlook the power 
there is in a godly life. It speaks louder than 
words. " Be thou an example of the believers in 
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, 
in purity." 

18 



PART SEVENTH. 

School-room Work. 



CHAPTER I. 

PEELIMINAKIES. 

Make Haste Slowly. — If any reader has 
turned to this Part to learn all at once "how to 
run a Sunday-school," the first thing he needs to be 
taught is that if he would make progress in the 
right direction, he must take the right track. He 
probably needs to be told that " running a Sunday- 
school " skillfully is not a trick to be acquired in a 
few minutes' instruction. It is the lesson of years 
— of a life-time. "Cramming" may make a full 
man, but such fullness is a delusion and a snare. 
Conceit of knowledge has brought many a Sunday- 
school man to an untimely grief and premature 
resignation. No one can become an expert in 
the arts of the Sunday-school room until he has 
mastered the rudiments of Sunday-school science. 
These impose drudgery, and may be regarded as 
of trifling importance, but "trifles make perfec- 
tion, and perfection is no trifle." To mold and 
fashion character from the obdurate material upon 
which we labor requires the skill of an artist. 
(274) 



Preliminaries. 275 



Superintending a school well is among the fine arts 
to which many aspire and but few attain; chiefly 
because most superintendents limit thought and 
action to a round of school-room exercises. These 
are highly important, and should command one's 
best energies in both plan and execution. But the 
sphere of the school is wider than the school-room. 
And that superintendent who hopes to achieve real 
and lasting success by mere school-room tactics, 
however brilliantly executed, is paving the way to 
disaster. An event necessarily involving all who 
follow him. 

To guard against this capital error has been the 
object of the writer in previous pages, to which the 
attention of the reader is respectfully invited in 
advance of the present subject. 

Make a Good Beginning. — Any work 
worth doing at all is worthy of being well done. 
Remember this is work for souls, for the Master, 
for eternity. We are to do our best. In a brief 
hour the opportunities of a session will be gone, 
and forever. No after effort or regret can atone 
for present negligence. No badly begun work is 
ever well done. 

The room in which the school is to assemble 
should be as comfortable and inviting as it can be 
made. See that the floor is clean, the furniture in 
place and dusted, that the doors and windows are 



276 School-room Work. 



open for ventilation if the weather is warm, that 
the fires are going when it is cold, with plenty of 
fuel at hand to keep them so. The little folks are 
sure to become thirsty, just as they do at home; 
have fresh water for them. Negligence in these 
and like particulars drives people from us. They 
are, by turns, smoked out, burned out, frozen out, 
disgusted. Then they are charged with an evil 
spirit. "They won't come." 

Whose business is it to look after these 
matters? The sexton's. And it is the superin- 
tendent's duty to look after the sexton. By drop- 
ping in a half hour early, he is master of the situ- 
ation. If the sexton has fallen short of duty and 
absconded — a supposable case — he can lay his own 
hand to the work. A man who is too stiff for this 
emergent service is lacking in the material of 
which the best superintendents are made. "Who- 
soever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant 
of all." 

All Present. — Every officer and every teacher 
should be present every Sunday a few minutes be- 
fore the hour for opening the school. All have 
work to do. Important lessons are to be taught ; 
important duties to be performed before the school 
is called to order. They cannot be postponed — it 
is now or never. 

Promptness. — The fountain follows the un- 



Preliminaries. 277 



written law of its own being. It will not rise above 
its source. Philosophize as we will, that law 
stands. The officers and teachers are the life of a 
school, and their official lives are its supreme law. 
By-laws, written or verbal, in conflict with it, 
though rehearsed and enjoined w T eek by week, are 
not worth a fig. Prompt officers and teachers make 
prompt scholars, and vice versa. 

An ounce of example is worth a pound of 
precept. To illustrate, by "the rule of three:" 
Jones the farmer, and Brown the merchant, are 
models in business life. They rise the year round 
at daylight, and get to work as soon thereafter as 
possible. Sunday-school is advertised to begin at 
9 o'clock. Jones, the superintendent, gets in at 
9:15, and Brown, the teacher, puts in his appear- 
ance twelve minutes later. Query: At what time 
will Robinson's boy arrive? and how much faith 
will he have in the preachments of Jones and 
Brown when he does come? Boys and girls are 
forming habits for life. To teach them slothful- 
ness in God's service is a sin. To teach them this 
and then to lecture them on the duty of punctual- 
ity, is to put a premium upon dissimulation. Pro- 
fessions of anxiety for souls go for naught in the 
presence of official tardiness. Be prompt, to teach 
promptness. 

The pastor, by early attendance, gives a prac- 



278 School-room Work. 



tical expression of his interest that is in every way 
stimulating and helpful. Besides, he has opportu- 
nities for observation from a stand-point that has 
no existence during the session. At this time he 
will find his fellow-workers most alive to duty, and 
most receptive of advice. This is also the most 
favorable time for mingling with the scholars and 
extending his influence among them. The pastor 
who is negligent of such advantages is indifferent 
to the spiritual welfare of his flock. 

The superintendent, while on a tour of in- 
spection, will not forget the civilities due associates 
and scholars. By w T ord or gesture recognize their 
timely presence, then proceed to such affairs as need 
attention. But do not try to do every thing your- 
self, as if you distrusted the cleverness of every- 
body else. Keep a sharp lookout for occasion to 
ask for help. The exercise of mother -wit will 
multiply occasion. Do n't call on a grown person 
for any thing a child can do as well. If you have 
never tried it, you will be delighted to find how 
ready the scholars are to help — readier than at 
home, perhaps. Give them something to do, es- 
pecially the "bad boys" and timid girls. 

Anti-monopoly. — Superintendents, in their 
anxiety for success, often overdo the thing; in 
which case an impartial verdict, more to be dread- 
ed than desired, speedily follows. A factory boy 



Preliminaries. 279 



was asked how he liked the new superintendent. 
"Don't like him." 
"Why?" 

" I 've got no use for a boss as is allers runnm' 
'round interferin' with his own business." 

The prerogatives of others are to be respected. 
The sexton is a poor man, a "darkey," perhaps, 
but he probably knows more about making up a 
fire than the superintendent, and prides himself on 
the fact. A racket at the stove he resents as a per- 
sonal affront. He rightly thinks if his services 
are in demand he ought to be notified. He is sub- 
ject to orders, but does not relish being snubbed. 
He is to be trained to efficient service in every re- 
quirement of his position. It is the duty of the 
superintendent, or his assistant, to give him such 
training in the interest of the school. 

This case is taken to illustrate others of more 
importance, the same principle underlying all. 
The care and distribution of books and periodicals 
pertain to the office of librarian. Let him be re- 
quired to attend to that. So of the records and 
finance : let collections and returns be required of 
the secretary and treasurer. The wise superin- 
tendent exercises careful oversight of these mat- 
ters, and gives them proper direction ; but farther 
than this he does not go, for he knows that what- 
soever is more than this cometh of evil, and has a 



280 School-room Work. 



bad tendency. If, at the last moment, the absence 
of officials devolves their work upon his shoulders, 
he quietly transfers it to others, and puts them in 
training for future usefulness; his maxim being, 
He does most who, doing his best, gets most assist- 
ance from others. That a superintendent prefers 
to take every thing into his own hands is no palli- 
ation of the offense. It is at best a bad monopoly. 
Subverting every thing like system, it is fatal to 
development. Acknowledged to be wrong, it is 
practiced under plea of necessity. In nearly every 
instance the plea is as fallacious as the practice. 
To hold that the school cannot furnish competent 
persons for subordinate offices is a delicate sugges- 
tion of absolute monopoly — all its piety and intel- 
ligence being represented in the person of its chief. 
The secret is this : Some superintendents, through 
overweening vanity, "run the school," in all its 
departments, for the sake of preeminence ; some to 
avoid teaching a class ; the most, because they find 
it easier to do this than to develop subordinates from 
the raw material at hand. They "don't want to 
be bothered with them." When such a superin- 
tendent resigns or dies, the after - history of his 
school may be gathered from its epitaph: "Died, 
the unsuspecting victim of a cruel monopoly." 

The pieces to be sung, having been pre- 
viously selected with reference to the lesson, should 



Preliminaries. 281 



be marked, so that they may be instantly turned to 
and announced. In like manner mark the lesson 

In the Bible. Do not substitute a lesson- 
quarterly, or some such thing, for the Book. Read 
the lesson from the Bible. There has been a great 
outcry against its exclusion from the public schools. 
Is it to disappear from the superintendent's desk ? 
Or will he set it aside in the presence of the school, 
for no other reason than that the lesson -leaf is 
" handier?" His example in the school will be 
quoted as authority in the home. This is no quib- 
ble for a sentiment. There is good ground for be- 
lieving that in Sunday-schools, not a few, the Bible 
is not seen from year's end to year's end. Let 
superintendents be careful how they put it out of 
sight. 

Conference may be had with other officers and 
teachers, in which the superintendent may inform 
himself of the condition of the school in all its 
departments. Besides anticipating and providing 
for contingencies which may arise, much needed 
and valuable counsel and encouragement may be 
given. 

Acquaintance with new scholars may be 
made, and assignment to classes effected. No su- 
perintendent can afford to neglect this occasion for 
expressing a personal interest in those with whom 
and for whom he is laboring. 



282 School-room Work. 



Greet the scholars as they come in. Speak 
to them kindly — heartily — by name. Shake 
hands with them, and make courteous inquiry after 
the families from which they come. If this is not 
your habit, make it so. "O but I don't feel like 
it, and I can't make hypocritical pretensions." 
But you certainly ought to feel like it ; and if you 
perform all the other offices of superintendent and 
refuse this, are you not chargeable with insincer- 
ity? How can it be otherwise of one praying 
God's tender compassion on the school, while man- 
ifesting none himself? Theoretical piety will not 
appease the heart's hunger. Love, and nothing but 
love, will. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." 
How dare a man, in any relation, talk to his fel- 
low-men about their sins, and express great con- 
cern about their souls, when he cares nothing for 
the soul's environment? How talk about their 
future, when he cares nothing about their present 
life ? Let us beware of pious humbuggery. This 
writer has no use for the sympathy or prayers of 
a man whose sympathy and prayers never touch 
side, edge, or bottom of present necessities. If a 
man love not his brother whom he hath seen in 
body, how can he love the mystical and spiritual 
brother whom he hath not seen ? How many of 
us have cause for heart-searching and change of 
habit at this point ! 



Preliminaries. 283 



A warm-hearted welcome from the super- 
intendent never fails to win confidence and inspire 
respect. Some scholars will be shy; some may 
seem to repel your advances, so unused are they 
to kindness. Many — God help them ! — never re- 
ceive a kind w T ord except in Sunday-school. Carry 
the sunshine of God's love in your heart, brother ; 
let it illuminate your face and brighten the school- 
room every Sunday, and it will not be long until 
that room, however humble, will become not only 
the house of God and the gate of heaven, but heaven 
itself to precious souls. Let the Christ formed 
within you the hope of glory reveal himself, and 
scholars will be won to him through you. 

The secretary's work will be faulty if he is 
not in advance of the session. Class-books are to 
be distributed, consultations held, mistakes recti- 
fied, changes noted; the names of new scholars are 
to be entered, and absences accounted for. He 
should make himself thoroughly familiar with the 
personality of the school, as well as current events. 
He is both biographer and historian. 

Treasurer. — Class envelopes for contributions 
are to be distributed, financial information fur- 
nished, delinquents stirred up, and many other like 
things that cannot be so well done, if done at all, 
at any other time. 

The librarian's presence is absolutely essen- 



284 School-room Work. 



tial to the school's prosperity. As custodian of its 
property, no one else has a right to handle books, 
etc., except as authorized by his absence. Bibles 
and music-books are to be issued, and scholars 
without lesson-helps supplied. Circulating vol- 
umes returned are to be credited, and find their 
proper place in the library-case ; losses are to be 
investigated, mistakes and misunderstandings ad- 
justed, etc. A superintendent with an armful of 
books or papers is "a bad sign." 

The chorister should never disappoint the 
school. The discussion of selections, disposition 
of parts, etc., assist materially in inciting the school 
to lively participation in the service of song. 

The teachers, by early attendance, rather 
than by glib after-talk, are to assert the impor- 
tance of the occasion. For by works is faith made 
manifest ; faith in the word and in the power of 
that word ; faith in its promises and in the Author 
of those promises. Really earnest teachers will 
strive to be early. But it does not follow that all 
early teachers are eager for duty. The facts of 
experience oppose the hypothesis. As for exam- 
ple, when groups are formed for whittling sticks 
and talking politics outside, while other groups 
chatter of fashions and dispense neighborhood gos- 
sip in-doors ; depend upon it, where that sign ap- 
pears, the concern it represents is engaged in "the 



Preliminaries. 285 



meager traffic of unfelt truth " — a starvation busi- 
ness, carried on as a Sunday-school, to the detri- 
ment of religion. 

The teacher's place in Sunday-school is with 
his class. He as truly belongs to the class as the 
class to him. The engagement is mutual. If he 
loves his class, the class will love him, and they 
will rejoice in this mutual fellowship. If he de- 
votes himself to their service, they will devote 
themselves to his instructions. Love wins. A 
few minutes of cheery conversation cements friend- 
ships and opens hearts for the reception of the 
truth taught. New scholars should be cared for; 
a home-like feeling induced, order preserved, and 
various like services rendered which have an im- 
portant bearing upon the exercises to follow. No 
teacher need expect success who does not, as a rule, 
meet his class a few minutes before the session 
opens, and stay with it until school closes. 

The scholars are to be taught punctuality, as 
indicated. And w T hen punctual, they are to be 
commended. This is too often forgotten. En- 
couragement will do more to sustain a school than 
adverse criticism; bear that in mind. Tardy 
scholars should not escape attention. Deal with 
them privately. Use tact in adapting remarks to 
each case. Be persistent on this point ; keep it up 
until you succeed, if it require a twelve-month, 



286 School-room Work. 



but do not lash the whole school in striking at the 
faults of a few. That is cowardly. Don't growl. 
Every good school is a prompt school, wher- 
ever found. " Whatsoever thy hand flndeth to do, 
do it with thy might." 



Opening the School. 287 



CHAPTER II. 
OPENING THE SCHOOL. 

On Time. — If your school-room is provided 
with a good clock, be governed by that, Brother 
Superintendent ; if not, go by your watch, if it is re- 
liable. If it is n't, do n't ; throw it away, give it to 
the baby to play w T ith, sell it if you can honestly — 
at any rate, get rid of it, and buy, borrow, or beg 
a good one. Do n't go by the sun. It is out of 
sight sometimes ; besides, you are liable to mistake. 
In so weighty a matter as the time for opening the 
school you cannot afford to be mistaken. If you 
can, the school cannot. Be sure you are right; 
then go ahead.* 

The Assembly. — Theoretically, the school is 
unanimously and obligingly present — by courtesy 
of the imagination; practically, some of its mem- 
bers are out in the front yard. Whether we ap- 
prove of it or not makes no sort of difference — in 
good weather. There they are, and our theory 
breaks down. Notification must be served to bring 
them in. This may be by verbal request, by a vol- 
untary on the organ, by consecutive taps of the 

*Let it be understood that the school opens on time. 
If the superintendent is absent, his assistant takes charge; 
if neither is present, elect a superintendent pro tern., and 
get to work. 



288 School-room Work. 



desk-bell, but by singing a spiritual song to an ac- 
companiment furnished by a score of boot-heels in 
the aisle, never. Of all methods, this is the most 
objectionable, and the one most in vogue. If any 
insist on perpetuating it, a compromise might be 
effected by the adoption of an appropriate song — 
for instance, " Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are 
marching." 

Order. — The school is advertised to begin at a 
certain time. When that time comes, tap the bell 
one stroke, or by other distinct signal call the school 
to order. Then wait until you get it. Order is 
heaven's first law. It is of first importance in ev- 
ery Sunday-school, as it is the prime duty of every 
superintendent to secure it. If he fail at this point, 
a failure at all others is duly provided for. Order 
means quiet; it means persons and things in their 
proper places; it means subordination to lawful 
authority ; it means discipline of mind and heart. 
Blessed are they who are made subject to its be- 
nign influence in the kingdom of the hearth-stone, 
and blessed are they who are not allowed to violate 
it in the sanctuary. 

An Important Factor. — The question is 
frequently asked, "How can we keep the young 
men and women in Sunday-school, and how induce 
older persons to join us?" It is no small part of a 
complete reply to say, Keep order in the school. 



Opening the School. 289 



That is not all of it, to be sure, but it will go far 
toward a solution of the problem. Intelligence, 
refinement, and reverence for God and his worship, 
are often rudely shocked by the disability, dust, 
and disorder that sometimes prevail — not to say 
disgrace — the sanctuary during the hour devoted 
to Sunday-school exercises. 

How to Secure Order. — You must have 
an orderly superintendent to begin with ; a quiet, 
decided man ; one who knows his place, and keeps 
it; one who knows his temper, and controls it. 
Such a man will never fail where success is possi- 
ble. He governs by example of self-government. 
Find him where you will, whether in town or coun- 
try, in a large school or a small one, you will ob- 
serve that he has a great deal of confidence, a fair 
share in himself, and the remainder in other peo- 
ple. He does n't put on any extra airs, but goes 
about w r hat he has to do in a certain common-sense, 
business-like, Christian-like way that somehow im- 
presses you with the idea, "That man has been 
elected to superintend this school, and he means to 
do that very thing." The idea of the school super- 
intending him never enters your head. He taps 
the bell once, and waits. He is perfectly self- 
poised, the embodiment of faith, not the shadow 
of a doubt in his countenance. He called for or- 
der, is waiting for it, and expects to get it soon. 
19 



290 School-room Work. 



He is watching as well. His quick, well-trained 
ear detects the center of disturbance, and he looks 
steadily in that direction ; a significant nod of the 
head [almost quiet], a steady index-finger, locates 
the cause of delay. [Now you could hear a pin 
drop.] If he speaks — which is rarely necessary — he 
simply says, in conversational style, " I am waiting 
for order;" but the words have a sort of undertone 
which says, " I mean to have it too." And he gets it. 

A Bad Case.— "O that's all very well/' you 
say, " but we have n't that kind of a superintend- 
ent." You have my sympathy. " Can't you tell 
us how we are to have order with our superintend- 
ent?" No. If he is a good, easy, good-for-nothing 
sort of man, forced upon the school by better men, 
like yourself, refusing the office, the case is almost 
hopeless. It is equally bad if, on the other hand, 
he is cross-grained and " brash," or conceited and 
fussy. Bear the consequences of your mistake 
bravely ; and when the proper time comes, rectify 
that mistake, even if thereby the burden of official 
responsibility should fall upon you; but don't de- 
sert the school, brother. Grumbling is bad enough ; 
moral cowardice is worse. 

A Familiar Instance. — As just remarked, 
a good superintendent will never fail of order where 
success is possible. One thing may defeat him — 
only one — and that is disloyalty on the part of sub- 



Opening the School. 291 



ordinate officers and teachers. He may possess 
governing abilities of the highest order ; but if he 
has a treacherous staff, only one alternative is left 
— reorganization or retreat. This is an exception- 
al case. Still there may be disloyalty without open 
antagonism. It is the duty of subordinates to as- 
sist the superintendent in the government of the 
school; and carelessness in this particular is by 
no means exceptional. Many a worthy officer has 
been driven to the wall for w T ant of such support. 
Those who withhold it do not intend harm, but 
damage is inflicted none the less. The school is 
disorderly, and undivided censure falls upon its 
chief officer. Your superintendent, we assume, has 
not developed the characteristics of "the model su- 
perintendent" — none ever do; he does not even 
approximate your ideal — they rarely do; he is, 
we may suppose, just "a fair average" — most of 
them are; and you complain of disorder in your 
school. Has the complainant ever taken the trouble 
to investigate the conduct of the school, class by 
class? Are you a teacher? How is it in your 
class? With an average superintendent, and rea- 
sonable fidelity on the part of those w r hose duty it 
is to control themselves and their classes, the unen- 
viable reputation of the school. would inevitably 
change for the better. Take care of the classes, 
and the school will take care of itself. 



292 School-room Work. 



Devotional Exercises. — Order has been 
insisted upon. The presence and power of God is 
to be acknowledged by the school in songs of 
thanksgiving; his blessing is to be invoked; he 
is to be worshiped ; he is to be worshiped in spirit 
and in truth. He is the God of order, and not of 
confusion. Without decorum in the school-room 
there can be no spirit, no truth, no worship. Even 
the little children know that. And the most pow- 
erful incentive to propriety of conduct that can be 
brought to bear upon a school is this: "God is 
here, and we are here to worship him." " When 
a school is called to order for this purpose, let this 
purpose absorb every other. Let heart, mind, soul, 
and strength be summoned to its performance, and 
let the superintendent know that the eyes of the 
school are upon him. He is to lead these souls in 
devotional exercises. He is their human exemplar 
of heavenly service. He must have a care that he 
may not mislead these little ones, and cause them 
to stumble by a display of reckless self-sufficiency 
on the one hand, or of a ghostly inefficiency on 
the other. 

Irreverence. — That man who has no becom- 
ing sense of the Divine presence, and of the pro- 
prieties to be observed in worship, has no business 
in the superintendent's desk, no matter how shrewd 
a "manager" he may be. He may attract; if he 



Opening the School. 293 



is the chief attraction, the school is upon a sandy 
foundation — its fall is only a question of time. 
There is another question : Who will be buried in 
its ruins? He is a dangerous man who makes the 
Sunday-school room a theater for the exhibition of 
self — who stands like another Absalom " beside the 
way of the gate" to steal the hearts of the people 
from their allegiance to the great King. Beware 
of such a man, " lest the cross of Christ should be 
made of none effect." That must be the center of 
attraction if souls are to be saved. 

A dead formalism is more to be dreaded, 
because it is more widely tolerated, and even in- 
dorsed. It creeps into the school in reverential 
guise. It savors of the grave, and is supposed to 
induce solemnity of feeling. Some who do not 
relish its presence suffer in silence — deeming it, al- 
though undesirable, at least harmless. But it is 
in every way insidious and dangerous, because it 
is heartless. It is a skeleton in armor that, on the 
score of ancient renown, is privileged to haunt re- 
ligious assemblies. That young people express 
their disgust of it in various substantial ways is a 
natural and inevitable consequence. The man 
who makes the devotional exercises attractive may 
lack religious motives in so doing; but the man 
who does not strive to make them so may well be 
suspected as lacking both religion and common 



294 School-room Work. 



sense. An impartial appeal to either will justify 
this statement. 

Cheerfulness of manner is not at all incon- 
sistent with seriousness of purpose. Both are posi- 
tively essential to success in directing the services 
under consideration. The superintendent who will 
not exert himself to secure this indispensable com- 
bination might do the school most efficient service 
by tendering his resignation. If he cannot see the 
difference between solemnity and stupidity, he is 
blind to the school's best interests. A long face, a 
sepulchral voice, and a condemned criminal sort 
of air, assumed in the presence of a school, are 
symptoms of a soft head, or a hard heart, rather 
than of devoutness of spirit. The impression made 
upon the child-mind is that religion is an unwhole- 
some thing — that the superintendent has it, and 
that he suffers dreadfully from it. Some such re- 
flections may be indulged: "I am sorry for our 
good superintendent, but somehow I do n't like 
him. I reckon I must be religious some time, but 
I 'm going to put it off as long as possible. I want 
to be happy." Dear little heart, God doesn't want 
you to be any otherwise, and he is a cruel deceiver 
A\ 7 ho teaches you any thing else. "The joy of the 
Lord is our strength," especially in dealing with 
the young. 

A joyless religion is a powerless thing. 



Opening the School. 295 



What the budding faith and blooming hopes of 
childhood need to bring them to maturity are dews 
and sunshine, not frosts and clouds. An overplus 
of dignity or solemnity in the desk often chills the 
genial atmosphere of the school-room, and blights 
the fairest prospects of spiritual ingathering. 
Make your devotional exercises bright with praise 
and redolent witb the incense of prayer. "Wor- 
ship the Lord in the beauty of holiness," and you 
will make his service a delight. 

The Programme. — Any order of exercises, 
no matter how expressive and beautiful, must be 
varied occasionally, else it will, in the course of 
time, degenerate into dull routine — a sort of tread- 
mill service, by w T hich the patience of many a 
school is w T orn threadbare. Singing, prayer, and 
reading of the Scriptures, are the principal ele- 
ments. Upon these is to be engrafted whatever 
may be desirable in the way of change. In seek- 
ing variety, avoid confusion. Frequent and radi- 
cal changes that only surprise or intimidate the 
school are worse than useless. Change simply for 
the sake of novelty is folly. Being enforced, or 
artificial, its charms are of brief duration. That 
is best which is the outgrowth of a healthy system, 
developing quietly and naturally in an unbroken 
series of new and attractive forms. Hence, pre- 
scribed schedules are, at best, merely suggestive ; 



296 School-room Work. 



oftentimes, in the very nature of things, worthless. 
Love is ingenious ; and to the earnest superintend- 
ent a hint is sufficient. He will exercise a wise 
discrimination in the use of the abundant helps 
furnished in current Sunday-school literature, com- 
bining in his plans such features as are adapted to 
his surroundings. In short, he will practice ac- 
cording to the case. A volume would not suffice 
for one who has no head of his own, and no heart 
for his work. "Keep out of the ruts" is good ad- 
vice that is not sufficiently heeded. 

The Singing. — Where the room is not full, 
the school should be required to sit together during 
the opening exercises — the little ones in front. The 
very instant you get order announce the number 
of the piece to be sung. Speak so distinctly that 
every one may hear, and then sing — no, not yet ; 
keep your eye on the school to see that books are 
w T ithin reach of all, and that all find the place. If 
any seem at a loss, reannounce the number. If 
any are careless, kindly request them to join in the 
service. But don't mar the occasion by scolding. 

Read tlie lines occasionally before singing, 
omitting choruses in which "vain repetitions " are 
used. Why not? If a piece is w r orth singing, it 
ought to be read so that the school may interpret 
its meaning and catch its spirit. In order to this, 
previous study is necessary. If the piece is quite 



Opening the School. 297 



familiar, its connection with the truths of the les- 
son for the day may be developed by a question or 
two. Properly done, interest is excited and atten- 
tion gained. Be brief. 

Make a signal, if the school is to rise. Have 
all to stand. If any refuse, something is wrong ; 
locate the trouble, but examine the machinery at 
another time. 

Quiet. — All shuffling of feet, adjusting of rai- 
ment, whispering, giggling, and gazing about, 
should cease before the first word is sung. If not, 
by the time the organ has given the tune, signal 
the organist and wait. The recognized leader 
should stand in front where he can overlook the 
school, and the moment attention is given let him 

Sing, and let the school understand that they 
are expected to join in promptly. The first verse 
is often badly rendered. In that case ask for it 
again, in better time, with more spirit, etc., im- 
pressing the thought that no half-hearted service 
is acceptable to God. The ancient offerings were 
to be " without blemish." Withholding our best, 
we forfeit his blessing. It is well now and then to 
drop a remark between stanzas, touching the sen- 
timent expressed. This is affirmed on personal 
experience. The Methodist Church is proverbial 
for its excellent singing. In its book of Discipline 
this question is asked : " How shall we guard 



298 School-room Work. 



against formality in singing?' And this reply, 
among others, is given : " By often stopping short, 
when the words are given out, and asking the peo- 
ple, Now, do you know what you said last? Did 
you speak no more than you felt?" We should 
never forget that the manner in which these exer- 
cises are conducted is, in no small degree, shaping 
opinions for life. Do not let the singing drag, as 
if you were performing a slavish, profitless service. 
It is the only bond by which many of your schol- 
ars are held within the sphere of religious influence. 
Break that, and they are gone. Sing to save souls, 
and you will sing most surely to the glory of God. 
Prayer. — Unity of posture is befitting unity 
of purpose. The attitude of the school in prayer 
should be that established b}' usage of the Church 
it represents. A clean floor is a prime necessity 
where kneeling is the custom. Pagan worshipers 
leave their shoes at the temple-door. We should 
at least leave the mud. Sitting bolt upright, with 
wide open, wandering eyes, while prayer is being 
offered, is an indecency often practiced in Christian 
assemblies without receiving the public condemna- 
tion it deserves. It is the defiant attitude of relig- 
ious nihilism, which neither fears God nor regards 
man. Let it find no place in your school, if you 
can possibly prevent it by earnest, loving expostu- 
lations. A word fitly spoken just before calling 



Opening the School. 299 



to prayer is often of great value in exciting a de- 
votional feeling. After the summons, pause until 
all is quiet. 

The Leader. — As a rule, the superintendent 
being more closely identified with the school, and 
with a fuller knowledge of its affairs than any one 
else, ought to lead the prayer. As a sensible man 
he will, on proper occasion, call upon pastor, teach- 
er, or visitor, w 7 hose qualifications of head and 
heart are known. But he will neither shirk this 
duty nor take any unauthorized risks if he is a 
conscientious Christian, as he ought to be. 

The prayer should be fresh from the heart, 
true to a well-defined purpose of thanksgiving, 
confession, and supplication, strong in present faith, 
bright with present hope, and warm with present 
love. It should carry the idea that it is the prayer 
of the school rather than for it — that the leader is 
simply voicing the school's inmost thought, feeling, 
desire. The school is composed largely of chil- 
dren, and its prayer will be child-like. It will be 
simple, earnest, tender, trustful, short. When it 
is otherwise, it is not the prayer of the school, but 
of one man — the leader. Oftentimes it is just that. 
Sometimes it is stilted, hollow, cold, long, and 
heartless, in which case it is just no prayer at all — 
voice, and nothing else. Use easy words and short 
sentences. " Pray in telegrams, and let the heart 



300 School-room Work. 



go with each message." Be specific, name the 
things for which thanks are returned, keep provi- 
dential surroundings in view ; storm and sunshine, 
rain, snow, seed-time and harvest; remember fa- 
thers and mothers, preachers, teachers, new schol- 
ars, absent ones, especially the sick. Ask by name 
for things you need. " Let your petitions be ar- 
rowy, at once, in their point, in their vim, in their 
directness, and in their force." Seek a present 
blessing. Get the school on your heart, bring it 
face to face with God, and let it tell its own wants 
in its own way. Every lesson contains a divine 
idea. The prayer will lack much if that be left 
out. 

The Model. — There is none, there can be 
none, except the one beginning with those wonder- 
ful words, "Our Father which art in heaven." 
"After this manner pray ye," said Jesus. Study 
that. 

Teach It to the School. — Have the pupils 
repeat it after you at the close of the morning 
prayer, or in the closing exercises. Some of them 
will perhaps never learn it otherwise. The entire 
prayer, including this, would be more to edifica- 
tion if occasionally offered in concert, clause by 
clause. "Lord, teach us to pray," said one of the 
disciples. And in teaching them he taught the 
world. The Church in many places is possessed 



Opening the School. 301 



of a dumb spirit. We have authority to cast it 
out. We have the opportunity. Will we use it? 
Silent tongues are to be loosed in the Sunday- 
school and trained for God's service in earthly 
sanctuaries, that they may join in the eternal hal- 
leluiahs of the skies. 

Reading the lesson may be made an at- 
tractive feature by proper management. It is out 
of the question for the superintendent to go through 
the whole lesson alone, as if he only were compe- 
tent to this exercise. Worse still is the antiquated 
practice of "verse around." With alternate or 
responsive readings, all may participate. "Verse 
about/' between the superintendent and school, is 
a good method. Like every other good thing, it is 
liable to abuse. As frequently rendered it repre- 
sents nothing so much as a frightened sheriff read- 
ing the riot act. The superintendent mumbles his 
verse as though it were to seal his doom; the 
school lifts its voice as a mob clamoring for his 
blood. The effect is ludicrous enough. 

The superintendent should, by previous 
study, master the passage so that he may read it 
without a blunder — above all, in a natural, uncon- 
strained manner. Assuming a "holy tone," and 
otherwise affecting an artificial pulpit style, is the 
mistake of many. "Be not as the hypocrites, of a 
sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that 



302 School-room Work. 



they may appear unto men to fast." Some disguise 
their voices that they may appear unto men to 
read. Where is the difference ? Every man who 
statedly reads the word in public is under solemn 
obligation to make his voice and manner expressive 
of its meaning. He is the instrument by which 
the language of the Holy Ghost is to be made ar- 
ticulate to men. The sense of the passage, and 
that alone, should influence the style of its reading. 
We do God no honor by making the reading of 
the Bible an exception to the law of reason. The 
wise superintendent will, for the sake of the little 
folks, read slowly, pronouncing clearly and unmis- 
takably every word and syllable, not excepting 
proper names. 

The school must have a leader in read- 
ing, as it has in singing. Scholars are to be 
trained to keep time. The leader must go slowly. 
If he slurs a single word, or rushes over a punc- 
tuation-mark, confusion follows. Practice makes 
perfect. See that the scholars keep their eyes on 
the text. A wide-awake superintendent knows the 
instant they wander. He may bring them back 
by calling for the verse again. He will teach them 
that this reading is not a formal programme exer- 
cise, but a living service. 

Variety may be secured by having responses 
from alternate classes instead of the entire school ; 



Opening the School. 303 



by dividing the school into two sections, one led by 
the superintendent, the other by his assistant; by 
the school reciting clause by clause after the super- 
intendent; by one class reading instead of the su- 
perintendent, the school responding ; by teachers 
reading together or alternately, the school respond- 
ing ; by superintendent and school having the les- 
son memorized, and proceeding as if books were in 
hand. Scholars who can read well may be put in 
training by having them take the superintendent's 
place occasionally. Too little attention is given 
to this service. Let us redeem it from its dullness. 
A word, just a word, from the superintendent now 
and then during the reading will kindle an inter- 
est. Ezra's school, "in the street that was before 
the water-gate," furnishes a good example. "They 
read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and 
gave the sense, and caused them to understand the 
meaning." 

The roll of officers and teachers should be 
called by the secretary regularly every Sabbath, 
the classes being in place. 

Announcements of changes that have been 
decided upon in classes, or order of exercises; of 
the names of new members, the sick, and those 
who have removed; of Church-services, special 
meetings, etc., should be made at this time rather 
than at the close of the session. In matters of 



304 School-room Work. 



importance question out statements made, if you 
wish to insure against mistakes. 

The class rolls may now be called by teach- 
ers, in a teacher's absence by one of the scholars, 
and attendance marked; contributions taken and 
put in envelopes, etc. 

All business matters are to be gone through 
with and put out of the w T ay before the recitation 
begins. The places of teachers whose absence is 
anticipated should be supplied during the week. 
Where others fail to answer at roll-call, appoint 
supplies at once. If suitable persons are not at 
hand, do not wait. Consolidate classes, and let the 
lesson proceed without delay. 



The Lesson Service— Securing Attention. 305 



CHAPTER III. 
THE LESSON SEBYICE— SECURING ATTENTION. 

There are certain external evidences which 
have an important bearing upon- the subject before 
us. Brief mention of a few of these will serve to 
suggest others : 

Disposition of Classes. — In the average 
school — where the accommodations are limited to 
four bare walls, a pulpit, and a floor full of benches 
— the superintendent should arrange class-sittings 
so as to economize space, and to secure to each one 
surroundings favorable to instruction. Inattention 
and disorder are frequently due to negligence of 
these conditions. Changing the location of a sin- 
gle class may have a happy effect upon the entire 
school. 

The teacher's position, with reference to 
the class, is not sufficiently considered. The hu- 
man face is expressive, impressive, and attractive; 
the back of the head, notably the masculine head, 
is not. Besides, it is a gross violation of courtesy 
to expose it much in conversation. The pupils be- 
ing compactly seated, the teacher should take a 
position from which the whole class may be seen 
at a glance. If sittings specially adapted to class- 
teaching are not provided, it is best for the 
teacher to stand — like the preacher, and for the 
20 



306 School-room Work. 



same reasons. If feeble, you might furnish your- 
self with a chair; but don't sit on the bench in 
front, with your back to the class, if you wish to 
do any good. 

Class Comfort. — It is quite a task for a class 
of wide-awake children to sit quietly anywhere for 
ten minutes. When it comes to them sitting still 
a half hour on "an old hard bench" in Sunday- 
school, with their feet dangling above the floor, 
that is a performance this deponent has never seen, 
and does n't wish to see either. Such an unheard- 
of phenomenon would excite a painful apprehen- 
sion that the class was composed of urchins too 
good for this world. Why a teacher should insist 
on this impossible thing is another mystery. Why 
not let them stand when they tire of sitting? If 
any one doubts the propriety, let him try to sit in 
the manner described without squirming. That 
will convert him. Pay more attention to the phys- 
ical comfort of the little ones, and they will return 
the compliment in less disturbance and closer at- 
tention to the teacher. 

Non-interruption. — The teaching service in 
our Sunday-schools will never approximate what 
it should be until the rights of teachers are re- 
spected. As the case now stands, in most places 
they are at the mercy of anybody and everybody, 
liable to interruption at any moment and on the 



The Lesson Service— Securing Attention. 307 



flimsiest pretexts. It is positively disgraceful in 
some instances — the pretense of teaching dwinclliDg 
to the insignificance of a stale joke. Would not 
preaching suffer in like degree if the speaker were 
subjected to like indignities? Would not many 
actually abandon the pulpit? There are many, 
very many schools in which any thing like real, 
earnest teaching is a sheer impossibility. In point 
of fact, there are comparatively few in which teach- 
ers are privileged to do their best. A reformation 
on this score is badly needed, and the sooner it is 
begun the better. There is only one way in which 
it can be brought about. Let a specified time be 
allotted to the teachers in every school, with the 
distinct understanding that they are expected to 
devote every moment of it to the instruction of 
their classes, and that the superintendent will stand 
guard to protect them against interruption from any 
source. A "survival of the fittest" in the corps of 
teachers will result. The ten-minute trifler will 
develop into a live teacher, or be laid upon the 
shelf as a fossil specimen of an extinct species. 
Brother, if you w r ould have good teachers in your 
school, and more to follow, do not interrupt them 
while teaching, and do n't let anybody else do it. 

Having a Definite Aim. — A teacher may 
be sincerely desirous of doing good; he may also 
strive earnestly and persistently, yet will his efforts 



308 School-room Work. 



be crowned with disappointment, "except he strive 
lawfully." Three things are required of him : (1) 
To interest; (2) to instruct; (3) to impress. These 
cardinal points in the teaching process must be 
kept in view, if he would attain the grand end to 
which he aspires. 

Review. — It may be remarked in passing that 
a few minutes spent in reviewing the preceding les- 
son is an excellent preparative to the main subject. 
Besides fixing in the memory truths which would 
otherwise be lost, light is often thrown upon the pas- 
sage immediately to be investigated. As this exer- 
cise admits of no discussion, pointed questions must 
be framed to develop the leading ideas in proper 
order. Never neglect the review. A truth forgot- 
ten is of no more immediate value than a truth 
unknown. 

Giving attention is not an easy matter. 
Even our own attention is at times difficult to con- 
trol. It is evasive, treacherous, hard to get, and 
harder still to hold, yielding only to the strongest 
effort of the will. Do not the oldest and best of 
us experience something like a disgust of ourselves 
when we have read an interesting paragraph with- 
out grasping a single idea, the mind's eye, like the 
fool's, wandering to the ends of the earth? Do we 
never have occasion to reproach our "drowsy pow- 
ers" while "sitting under the soothing sound of tl e 



The Lesson Service—Securing Attention. 309 



gospel ? " Are not the stanchest pillars of the Church 
often its soundest sleepers — during sermon? and 
this too where the strongest sense of duty coincides 
with a positive desire to resist the temptation. How 
much more difficult is attention on the part of the 
little folks, whose chief motive -force is impulse, 
and that largely the creature of circumstances! 
Make them as comfortable as we can and ought, 
yet will their quick blood assert itself by restless, 
changeful moods and motions, in the school-room 
as elsewhere. They cannot keep mind or body still 
long at a time. God does not require it of them ; 
we cannot. " Childhood and youth is the formative 
period, the season of sensation and emotion, rather 
than of reason and fixedness of thought and pur- 
pose." Remembering that close attention is difficult 
to any one, and especially a hard thing for children 
to give, we shall be the better prepared to overcome 
the obstacles we are sure to meet in our experience 
as teachers. Forewarned is forearmed. 

Attention is a necessity. Until that is 
gained, nothing is taught; without it, the teacher 
labors " as one that beateth the air/ 7 All who teach 
desire it ; but all do not deserve it, and those who 
merit it least complain loudest. To get attention 
is the first business of the teacher, and the best 
way in the world to get it and to hold it is to stick 
closely to business. The teacher who is continually 



310 School-room Work. 



finding fault with his class advertises his own de- 
ficiencies. He is probably a failure. What would 
be thought of a preacher whose ability all lay in 
the direction of what he might accomplish if the 
people would only be clever enough to listen to 
him? It is not far from the mark to say the first 
symptom of good teaching is good attention. 

How to Get It, and How to Hold It. — 
True attention is a mental attitude of expectancy, 
of desire — hope. It is not to be had for the ask- 
ing, much less can it be commanded. It must be 
won. It is the teacher's duty to make the lesson 
attractive to his class, to make each pupil feel that 
something of value is about to be brought within 
his reach, and that vigilance on his part is neces- 
sary to its attainment. The true teacher is a treas- 
ure-bearer, for w r hose coming the class look with 
interest. He is their personal friend ; he must not 
disappoint their expectations. He must therefore 
know the lesson ; he must know his pupils ; he must 
be in love with both ; he must give that love free 
expression. There are three prerequisites to suc- 
cessful teaching — ability in the teacher (1) to con- 
centrate his own mind upon the subject to be 
taught, (2) to draw the attention of the class to 
himself, (3) to divert that attention from himself 
to the subject in hand. Thorough preparation is 
all-important. 



The Lesson Service— Securing Attention. 311 



By the exercise of will-power. This, 
though not in itself sufficient, is an indispensable 
element. A mere wish is a vagrant idea in solita- 
ry pursuit of the unattainable. The will and the 
way go together, and something is sure to come of 
it. The leader among boys is always a decided 
character. The controlling spirit in every great 
enterprise is a man of inflexible, persistent pur- 
pose. The teacher who makes up his mind to have 
attention, and then quietly and judiciously brings 
the forces at his command to bear upon that point, 
will soon find himself master of the situation; but 
not if he makes an offensive show of authority. 
The hand of power must wear a glove of velvet. 

By exciting curiosity. " Curiosity," says 
Whately, "is the parent of attention." The chief 
point in childhood is the interrogation-point; its 
general occupation, asking questions. Education 
directs its inquiries. This mental appetite is insa- 
tiable. But there are some things that children 
cannot swallow. If food convenient for them be 
provided, they will, after a week's fast, give it hon- 
orable attention (no doubt about that), in which 
respect their elders are but children of a larger 
growth. The teacher who cannot find wonderful 
things in God's word, and wonderful things outside 
to illustrate it, has an evil eye. The remedy must 
come from above. 



312 School-room Work, 



By adaptation of manner and method to not 
only the average mental capacity of the class, but 
to individual habits of thought and feeling as well. 
The class in bibs and knee-breeches must be taught 
in a different style from that affecting lavender 
kids and stove-pipe hats. The scholars of the Kev. 
Dr. Uppercrust's church must be influenced after 
a fashion that would have no charms for the schol- 
ars of Hardscrabble Mission. Our teaching must 
be addressed to the actual experiences and neces- 
sities of the pupil. These we must know, not im- 
agine. 

By giving the class something to do, 
every member of it. If you do not, they will be 
apt to look elsewhere for employment. If they are 
little people, they will probably astonish you by the 
fertility of genius displayed in finding it. 

By keeping them busy. Most teachers 
are too slow. This statement may seem hasty, 
harsh. It is deliberately made. It is based upon 
long experience and careful observation. The 
teacher who cannot keep his class busy all the 
time is too slow for that class. Cavil as we may, 
there is no escaping the conviction that this is the 
true idea: "Never permit a pupil to remain in the 
class for a minute without something to do, and a 
motive for doing it." The excellence of the rule 
will not be doubted. The difficulty of its observ- 



The Lesson Service— Securing Attention. 313 



ance will not deter an honest, earnest teacher from 
adopting it, and striving to live up to it. If he has 
more scholars than he can find constant employ- 
ment for, it is his duty to transfer part of them to 
some one else. Let who will plume themselves 
upon having " a big class ; " choose rather to have a 
busy class. Covet attention and progress, rather 
than numbers. If you have a class of young peo- 
ple, you must "think, feel, act, and speak, quickly 
and strongly/' as they do; otherwise you lose your 
hold upon them. The leader's place is in front. 
Keep the class busy following you. An old edu- 
cator says, "This is the crowning achievement of 
the teacher's art." Push the investigation vigor- 
ously, and remember this pithy injunction : " When • 
you are done, by all means go on. Dragging is 
death to attention." 

By downright hard work. This is the 
conclusion of the whole matter. The art of secur- 
ing attention is after all little else than the art of 
teaching well, " the result of one's being a good 
teacher, rather than the condition of it;" and to 
be a good teacher one must needs be a good worker. 



314 School-room Work. 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE LESSON SEE VICE— QUESTIONING. 

Bondage. — The teaching service, when nar- 
rowed down to reading printed questions and hav- 
printed answers read in return, is little better than 
a burlesque on teaching. Thus limited, it becomes, 
in some instances, a transparent sham — the shoddy 
product of a languid effort at keeping up appear- 
ances in arrest of mental and spiritual bankruptcy. 
Any man who has intelligence enough to learn to 
read is capable of better things. He need not be 
in bondage to a lesson-leaf, and will not be if he 
"study to show himself approved unto God, a 
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly 
dividing the word of truth." 

Even where the scholars are required to recite 
from memory, any advantage they may derive 
thereby is wholly independent of a serious inten- 
tion on the part of the teacher who goes no farther 
than the printed questions lead him. The boy 
who said, "If I only had his book I could teach 
as well myself," expressed the thoughts of a multi- 
tude of others on whom a like imposition has been 
practiced. "To sit before a class and read ques- 
tions out of a book is," in the language of a distin- 
guished educator and author,* "about the dullest, 

*Hart. 



The Lesson Service— Questioning. 315 



most stupid, as well as the most stupefying process 
ever attempted." " Better," says he, " that every 
question-book in print were with Pharaoh's host 
at the bottom of the Ked Sea than that such a 
process of hearing lessons should fix itself upon 
our schools." To which remark every vigilant ob- 
server of this iniquity will say, Amen ! 

The illiterate Eomanist devoutly counting his 
beads, and the benighted pagan turning his prayer- 
wheel, are objects of Christian compassion and 
solicitude; but such feelings must give way to 
righteous indignation when one seriously considers 
an intelligent Protestant Church-member reading 
ready-made questions at a class of Sunday-school 
children under pretense of teaching the glorious 
truths of the gospel. Some such there are who 
go through that performance, week after week, 
without manifesting a single aspiration for nobler 
service. In a matter so devoid of life and spirit, 
so purely mechanical, even a soulless phonograph 
might be pardoned for muttering, "I could teach 
as well as that myself, without a book." In the 
name of all that is sacred, let the discreditable 
practice give place to worthier methods. 

The purpose of questions accompanying 
lessons on the International texts is to furnish as- 
sistance in the study of the lesson. The editor, by 
means of these interrogations, seeks to bring teacher 



316 School-room Work. 



and pupils together on common ground of investi- 
gation during the week, and to so develop the sub- 
ject that it may be discussed with pleasure and 
profit when the class assembles in the school-room. 
So all the editors have explained time and again. 
They have as often protested against a slavish re- 
hearsal of their questions in recitation. Now, the 
teacher who, in spite of all this, insists on making 
a parrot of himself need not be surprised if pupils 
refuse him attention, and finally desert him alto- 
gether. There is a limit to human endurance. 
And young people reach it early along this line. 
They are quite as averse to being bored as their 
seniors. 

Originality. — The questions referred to, being 
prepared by discreet, scholarly men, are adapted 
to a specific purpose, as stated. Their intention is 
fulfilled in the preparation of the lesson. Just 
where their mission ends, the work of the living teacher 
begins. For that work he can find no substitute 
in the work, however excellent, of any other man, 
living or dead. Out of the treasure of his own head 
and heart he must bring forth things new and old — 
things that belong to him, bearing the stamp of his 
individuality. The heart goes out after a thing 
that is one's own in a way else impossible; and the 
teacher must have heart in his work to give it 
worth, even in his own estimation. This vital ele- 



The Lesson Service— Questioning. 317 



merit the work of a question -reader neither has 
nor can have. He appears before the class not as 
principal, but as a sort of agent doing a limited 
business on borrowed capital. He is not a teacher 
in his own proper person, but only a mouth-piece 
for a real or supposable editor in Nashville, Chi- 
cago, or some other place. The defect is radical 
and fatal to any genuine interest on the part of 
the class. 

To illustrate : The preacher has access to 
printed sermons, the work of the wisest and most 
eloquent divines of all the ages. He must study 
them closely, but he may not preach them. He 
dare not read them from the pulpit No matter how 
far it may fall below them in thought and style, 
the sermon he preaches must be his own — the 
product of personal effort. And just to the extent 
he may be suspected of plagiarism, in the same 
degree will the confidence of the people be shaken 
and his influence weakened. "Swimming with 
corks is not, strictly speaking, swimming at all ; " 
so question-reading is, in point of fact, no ques- 
tioning at all. A man in the pulpit ministry who 
cannot make a sermon is no preacher at all ; and 
a man in charge of a class who cannot frame 
questions is no teacher at all. So, whether better 
or worse than the specimens on the lesson-leaf, the 
questions upon which the teacher is to rely in in- 



318 School-room Work. 



teresting and instructing his class must be his own. 
Adopting this as a rule, he is then free to make 
such exceptional use of printed questions as will 
promote the ends contemplated in original inqui- 
ries. 

The art of questioning is not easily ac- 
quired. But for all that, one must learn it if he 
would qualify himself for doing good, solid work 
as a teacher. For, as Mr. Fitch says, "the suc- 
cess and efficiency of our teaching depend more on 
the skill and judgment with which we put ques- 
tions than on any other single circumstance." Cer- 
tain qualifications may be classed as desirable; this 
one is indispensable. 

How Attained. — 1. By thorough investiga- 
tion of the subject to b# taught. Pursuit of knowl- 
edge implies a spirit of inquiry. Thought seeks 
verbal expression, and consciously or unconsciously 
questions are framed. The patient truth-seeker 
cannot fail of becoming an expert questioner. He 
becomes so by mere force of habit. As a teacher, 
he leads others in a path with which he is famil- 
iar. Otherwise he is a blind guide. No man can 
teach a thing he does not know. In order, there- 
fore, to question a class wisely, the teacher must 
study the lesson. He must know it. "A wise 
question," says Lord Bacon, "is the half of knowl- 
edge." 



The Lesson Service— Questioning. 319 



2. By studying the class — modifying the charac- 
ter and scope of questions to suit the varied and 
changeful conditions and wants of scholars. 

3. By practice — by " working at it," and hold- 
ing frequent and rigid experience-meetings with 
one's self. By bravely holding the work up in the 
clearest light of conscience, and correcting one 
fault at a time. Practice gives expertness. 

The design of questioning is, 1. To es- 
tablish in the mind of pupils, by experimental sur- 
vey, a boundary line between the known and the 
unknown, with a view to farther exploration and 
discovery of truth. (The teacher who stops at 
finding out what his pupils know falls to the level 
of a quiz committee of one.) 

2. To kindle in the mind of pupils a desire for 
more knowledge and a purpose to secure it; by 
awakening curiosity, exciting thought, and devel- 
oping an interest in the subject. In short, by put- 
ting the mind of the class in a receptive mood. 

("One of the laws of mind is that a certain 
amount of excitement is necessary to the rapid 
and sure apprehension of knowledge." — Hart. "A 
teacher has no more right to expect success from 
those who have no curiosity to learn than the hus- 
bandman has who sows a field without plowing it." 
— Whately.) 

3. To assist pupils in pursuit of knowledge, by 



320 School-room Work. 



quickening the memory, controlling and guiding 
thought, and evoking its best expressions. 

("First-hand knowledge is always better than 
second-hand, and w T hat the pupil gets for himself is 
far better than what you give him ready-made." — 
Eggleston. " That is the best questioning which best 
stimulates action on the part of the learner ; which 
gives him a habit of thinking and inquiring for 
himself; which tends in a great measure to ren- 
der him independent of his teacher; which makes 
him, in fact, rather a skillful finder than a patient 
receiver of truth." — Fitch?) 

4. To fix the truth in the minds and hearts of 
pupils, by review and application, proving and ap- 
proving the teacher's work. 

("No lesson is complete till its main points have 
been recalled in questions of examination." — Tyler. 
"A question unveils the soul; nothing can escape a 
questioli." — Bacon?) 

Classification. — Questions may, for conven- 
ience, be considered under various heads ; as, for 
example, (1) Experimental, (2) Excitative, (3) 
Auxiliary, (4) Confirmatory. The teacher may 
be guided somewhat, but must not be governed in 
class work, by this or any such formal classifica- 
tion. In actual practice it is often best to review 
and apply the truth as the lesson proceeds, taking 
advantage of time and circumstance. 



The Lesson Service— Questioning. 321 



RULES FOR QUESTIONING. 

1. As to their Character. 

(1) Every question should be clear-cut and 
definite, in both thought and language. Obscure 
questions are the representatives of vague ideas. 
Use no word pupils do not understand. Avoid 
circumlocution. Be pointed. Make every ques- 
tion the index-finger of thought. If the object is 
not at once perceived, it is either beyond the men- 
tal horizon of the class or you have failed to locate 
it exactly. In the former case, the class must be 
lifted to your plane ; in the latter, the vision must 
be guided by related objects more easily seen. 
Vary the question as you would change the direc- 
tion of your finger in locating for a child the north 
star, by means of " the dipper/' The teacher alone 
is to blame when scholars fail to see what he is 
"driving at." 

(2) Impertinent, useless, and unanswerable ques- 
tions are to be carefully avoided. Do not trifle 
with the intelligence of the class, don't waste their 
time, don't overload them. A bad driver makes 
a balky team. Keep out of the mud -holes and 
away from the steep hills of speculation, where, 
after doing your best, you are certain to be 
" stalled." Keep on firm ground, if you wish to 
make progress. 

(3) Leading questions — those suggesting the an- 
21 



322 School-room Work. 



swer, or that may be replied to by yes, or no, are 
quite objectionable. Tell as little as need be in 
questioning, in order that pupils may tell much in 
answering. Good questioning incites pupils to re- 
call known truth, to discover and examine new 
forms of truth, and to admit the claims which all 
truth makes upon them. Hence we are to "tax 
the memory, judgment, invention, and conscience 
of pupils in our questions." "A good teacher never 
conveys information in a question." 
2. As to Method. 

(1) Begin with easy questions, and pass by de- 
grees to those which are more difficult. 

(2) Ask for the meaning of words not in daily 
use. Ask pupils to substitute such words, and to 
put ideas in modern form. 

(3) Put questions in logical connection. The 
"harum-scarum" style is abroad in the land. Be- 
ware of it. 

... (4) Ask your question first, then name the one 
who is to answer it. 

(5) Do not question scholars in rotation. Skip 
about so that the attention of all may be held to 
every question. Suit the question to the pupil. 
"A key will not open a lock unless it fits it. It 
takes a good question to get a good answer." 

(6) If a scholar through inattention fails to 
catch the question, do not spend time in repeating 



The Lesson Service— Questioning. 323 



it for him ; pass it to some one else, or call upon 
the class. 

(7) Manage the business so that most questions 
shall fall to the most inattentive scholars. 

(8) Question the whole class occasionally. 

(9) Questions of review and recapitulation are 
always in order. 

(10) No lesson is complete without questions of 
practical application to daily life and conduct. 

3. As to Manner. 

(1) By voice, look, and gesture, throw life into 
your questions, whether you feel like it or not. 
Speak distinctly, that all may hear and understand. 

(2) Avoid long pauses and tedious harangues; 
let one question follow close upon another. Never 
let the class get the idea that you are a good, 
"poke-easy" sort of a person, or that you "have 
come to the end of your row." 

(3) Give your questions wings, but not stings, lest 
they invite wrath rather than confidence and love. 
The sarcastic teacher will make a note of this. 

KULES CONCEENING ANSWEES. 

These, as found in "The Chautauqua Normal 
Guide," fit the case so well that we take the liberty 
of adopting them without note or comment, further 
than to say they are not only to be read, but 
studied also, to be fully appreciated : 



324 School-room Work. 



1. The answer should come from some member 
of the class. 

2. It should be direct and definite, and the whole 
class should understand what it is. 

3. It should, wherever possible, be given in the 
pupil's own language. 

4. It should contain as few unnecessary words 
as possible. 

5. It should restate so much of the question as 
to make the answer a complete statement of a fact 
or proposition. 

6. Allow no guessing at answers. 

7. Allow pupils time to think before giving an- 
swers. 

8. Allow the timid and dull pupils special time 
and favor. 

9. Correct defective answers by a series of help- 
ful questions. 

10. Commend correct answers occasionally, but 
not invariably. 

11. Don't repeat the answer given by your pu- 
pils. 

We take the liberty of adding in behalf of pu- 
pils taught by the " wordy " brother — 

12. Don't answer your own questions, even if 
some insist that they "would rather hear you 
talk." 



The Lesson Service— Talking to the Class. 325 



CHAPTER V. 

THE LESSON SERVICE— TALKING TO THE 

CLASS. 

Knowledge of the Subject.— The teacher 
should be so well acquainted with the persons and 
the places, the sayings and the doings, the doctrines 
and the duties of the lesson, that he can open up 
and carry on an animated conversation with his 
class concerning these things, much the same as 
he would about current affairs — domestic, social, 
commercial, or political. The man who would 
have the attention of young people when he talks, 
must keep his wits about him. He must know 
what he is talking about, and what he is talking 
for. Now, to be plain about it, here is the trouble 
with about nine-tenths of the teachers who fail — 
they do n't know. They stop to find out. They 
consume time in cudgeling their brains for some- 
thing to say next. They leave the class to take 
care of itself, while they go browsing about over 
the lesson-paper in search of information. Instead 
of teaching, they are studying the lesson — killing 
time, squandering golden opportunities, rendering 
themselves obnoxious in the eyes of the pupils, and 
exciting in them a disgust of divine things. The 
common law of social intercourse, to which we 
subscribe so heartily on the street, in the store, and 



326 School-room Work. 



in our homes, must not be abrogated in the school- 
room on Sunday. It is to be sanctified by a holier 
purpose, not made void and set at defiance. 

Talk familiarly, in such language as your 
pupils use and understand. The scholarly style 
in which you are accustomed to express yourself 
may be quite foreign to their ears. It is all very 
fine to speak of the elevating influence it is likely 
to exert, but you will notice that in lifting some- 
what the first thing to be done is to get down to it 
In order to get a hold upon it. We must stoop to 
conquer. Paul saw the necessity. "In the Church 
I had rather," said he, "speak five words with my 
understanding, that by my voice I might teach 
others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown 
tongue." So he became "all things to all men, 
that he might by all means save some." There are 
not a few who would become much better teachers, 
more likely to "save some," if they could be per- 
suaded to abandon their linguistic stilts. The 
most effective preachers among English-speaking 
people are those who use the purest Anglo-Saxon — 
of which the English Bible is a notable example. 

Talk graphically, where descriptions are 
needed. . By word-pictures make things as plain — 
as real — to the mind as possible. Stir the imagina- 
tion of pupils to the apprehension of facts as they 
actually existed. But be careful that fact is not 



The Lesson Service— Talking to the Class. 327 



sacrificed to fancy. A knowledge of the countries 
and the peoples, the modes of life and the habits 
of thought, represented in the Bible, is worth 
vastly more than a vivid imagination. The power 
of word-picturing comes of a mastery of details 
w hich do not appear to those who have not studied 
them closely. 

Talk earnestly and naturally, with a 
genuine enthusiasm worthy of the occasion. Weak- 
ness is no characteristic of Christianity ; invalidism 
no part of its requirements. Knowing the truth, 
not otherwise, it is given unto you to speak boldly 
in the name of Jesus. But not boisterously, lest 
the subtle influence of "reserve pow 7 er" be dissipat- 
ed, and the attention of other classes be diverted. 
A locomotive makes most noise and least progress 
when the driving-wheels slip. Stick to the track, 
if you w r ould get on. "Sand" it freely at the gos- 
siping curve. Keeping the class interested is not 
worth the pains if nothing more comes of the effort. 

Talk to every pupil, bestowing most atten- 
tion upon those who need it most. Take the whole 
class along by taking special care of the dull and 
timid ones. How often are they grieved and dis- 
couraged by the thoughtless teacher devoting him- 
self to the bright and self-confident! That is the 
easier way, but it is also cruel. Bring the slowest 
along, and none will be left behind. Keep both 



328 School-room Work. 

eyes and ears open while talking. Much of the 
disorder and inattention of which complaint is 
made originates in classes whose teachers, having 
eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, except at 
long intervals — who do not know enough to keep 
their eyes off the lesson-helps. They can neither 
exercise control nor awaken interest. Through 
these windows of the soul the spirit follows the let- 
ter of the message with magnetic influence, mak- 
ing it quick and powerful. The teacher who has 
not learned to use his eyes in teaching should set 
about acquiring the art. 

Talk affectionately. Scholars will never 
open their hearts to us so long as ours are closed 
to them. Like begets like. "We love God," why? 
" Because he first loved us," and gave the amplest 
evidence in the person of his Son — Jesus — Love in- 
carnate. The true teacher's love will seek expres- 
sion. Do not restrain it, though it choose a cross 
as fittest to its purpose. A tear may conquer where 
all else has failed. 

Let the scholars talk. Talking too much 
is a common fault among teachers. A stream of 
words is poured upon the class like water from a 
fireman's hose, and with the same chilling effect. 
Egotism is no friend to grace. Pupils have rights 
that teachers must respect, not the least among 
which is that of opinion. They have ideas of their 



The Lesson Service— Talking to the Class. 329 



own, and ought to be encouraged to express them, 
that errors may be corrected and the truth estab- 
lished. The best teacher gets most out of his pu- 
pils. He makes them think, and then makes them 
tell what their thoughts are. He causes them to 
know, and then has them to tell what they know. 
As a sagacious observer puts it : " He gets work 
out of his scholars — gets questions, gets hints, gets 
a good chance to keep his own mouth shut a good 
part of the time, and the mouths of his scholars 
open, and their brains busy, and their hearts ex- 
cited." Here and there is a man who can "lect- 
ure " a class successfully. He is one of a thousand. 
The place of the average teacher is with the nine 
hundred and ninety-nine who cannot. It takes 
both warp and woof to make a good lesson fabric. 
" Let the long yarns of your discourse be constant- 
ly crossed and recrossed by the swift-flying shuttle 
of question and answer," if you would have a 
product at once attractive and durable. Pupils 
must be required to put scriptural statements of 
fact and doctrine into their own language before 
we can be sure that they are properly apprehended. 
Listen respectfully to questions and opin- 
ions expressed. They may often be worth little in 
themselves, but they are invaluable as means for 
determining the depths and shoals of knowledge in 
the class. If you anticipate a slow speech, do not 



330 School-room Work. 



betray impatience, but obligingly hasten a conclu- 
sion by putting in the right word. There is no 
surer way of overcoming a tendency to imperti- 
nence than by patient attention and a perfectly 
cool reply. Make the most of a defective answer; 
develop all the truth it contains, then vary your 
question so that what is behind may be brought 
out. Encourage an honest answer, however wide 
of the mark, l>y close attention. You must listen 
to your pupils if you would have them listen to 
you. 

Avoid disputations. The time for class 
work is limited. The teacher who recognizes its 
value will not suffer it to be frittered away in prof- 
itless discussions of minor items. As a leader, he 
wdll have a purpose, and will not allow himself to 
be diverted from it by side-issues which may be 
raised. He will frequently be challenged to de- 
bate, and must oftentimes refuse when acceptance 
would be much more to his liking. In advanced 
classes the reins must be grasped firmly to hold in 
check members who are disposed to run off into 
barren fields of controversy. Exciting this ten- 
dency with a view to personal ease and safety is a 
contemptible trick to which no thoroughly honest 
teacher will condescend. The class is not a debat- 
ing club; its exercises must not be tainted with 
the spirit of the prize-ring. If any are disposed 



The Lesson Service— Talking to the Class, 331 



to " lock horns," let them adjourn the matter to a 
more suitable time and place. 

Tact must be exercised in class teaching 
just as it is in the attainment of worthy and de- 
sirable ends on other occasions. But what is tact? 
The following are among the definitions given at a 
session of the "Chautauqua Sunday-school Assem- 
bly:" 

"Sanctified, consecrated ingenuity." "An in- 
genious way of presenting the subject so as to fix 
it in the mind." "A stroke of diplomacy by 
which you turn an untoward event, or unexpected 
occurrence, to the best results without premedita- 
tion." " The faculty of often not seeing, yet always 
seeing, and by quick advantage of unforeseen 
emergencies managing each pupil." "Quickness 
in using your knowledge of child-nature, in avoid- 
ing tediousness, and in a wholesome use of surprise 
power." " That intuitive power by which a teacher 
sees the need of the class, or of a child, and knows 
how to administer to its need." " The particular 
indescribable power which enables the teacher to 
adapt his teaching to the nature and circumstances 
of his class — that takes advantage of the answers 
given, and of present or recent events." "That 
skill which interests and develops the scholar ; 
which presents the lesson according to a thorough 
plan, and yet so naturallv that the teacher follows 



332 School-room Work. 



his own plan, while the scholars seem- to follow, and 
really do follow, the laws of their own natural 
action." 

To which may be added: Such flexibility of 
method and manner that the class can never antici- 
pate the teacher's plan; knowing neither where he 
will begin nor how he will proceed; questions, 
statements, and illustrations being so skillfully am- 
buscaded as to constitute an unbroken series of 
surprises, and all to this one end— surrender to 
Christ. In short, 

To teach as though we taught them not, 
And truths purpose as things forgot. 

Tact, in a large degree, is native to some minds. 
But it thrives well under patient cultivation. No 
one gifted with common sense need despair. That 
is the soil it most delights in. 

Application of the Lesson. — "Where the 
application begins," says Mr. Spurgeon, "there the 
sermon begins." The idea holds good of teaching 
a class. Therefore begin early with a practical 
application of the truth to the hearts and con- 
sciences of your pupils. Do not wait for the close 
of the lesson. Seize the passing opportunity. It 
never returns. You may never see another like it. 
Each comes fraught with its own peculiar respon- 
sibility, its promise of present blessing, which must 
then and there be accepted or refused. In an im- 



The Lesson Service— Talking to the Class. 333 



portant sense we cannot hold to the one and despise 
the other. They are inseparable. What onr 
scholars most need is the truth that saves, the 
truth that sanctifies. Pass that truth? Never. 
Point it out clearly, press it upon the attention ; 
tenderly, lovingly urge its immediate acceptance ; 
teaching " as though you ne'er might teach again." 
"A question unveils the soul; nothing can escape 
a question." Teacher, are there veiled souls in 
your class? wandering souls? lost souls? A quaint 
old writer says : "At sermons and at prayers men 
may sleep and wander; but when one is asked a 
question, he must discover where he is." The 
teacher who is afraid to ask a question that "un- 
veils the soul," that will compel a scholar to " dis- 
cover where he is," is in sore need of putting this 
question to himself, "Am I a soul-seeker?" As 
all the roads of the empire w T ere said to lead to 
Rome, so in every lesson there are truths that lead 
to Christ — to the Eternal City, the home of the 
redeemed. To make these plain, and through 
them to bring scholars into union and communion 
with God, is the teacher's chief business. Failing 
to give the lesson practical application, he is a 
messenger without a message.* 

*The teacher would do well to commit to memory Fitch's 
maxims: 1. Never to teach what you do not understand. 
2. Never to tell a child what you could make that child 



334 School-room Work. 



tell yon. 3. Never to give a piece of information without 
asking for it again. 4. Never to use a hard word if an 
easy one will convey your meaning, and never to use any 
word at all unless you are quite sure that it has a meaning 
to convey. 5. Never to begin an address or a lesson without 
a clear view of its end. 6. Never to give an unnecessary 
command, nor one you do not mean to see obeyed. 7. 
Never to permit a child to remain in the class a minute 
without something to do, and a motive for doing it. 



Closing Exercises. 335 



CHAPTER VI. 

CLOSING EXEKCISES. 

During the recitation the superintendent 
who has a mind to work can find plenty to do. He 
will, after seeing that every class is engaged upon 
the lesson, put himself in position to observe the 
entire machinery of the school, ready at the in- 
stant to secure its proper adjustment at all points. 
Only in a small, well-disciplined school, needing 
teachers, is it expedient for him to have a class ; 
never where the school is large or disorderly. 
Moving quietly around the room, with open eyes 
and ears, he brings himself within reach of any 
teacher who may desire his opinion on the lesson, 
and is ready to lay his hand upon any disturbing 
element. By a significant gesture, courteous re- 
proof may be given to inattentive scholars. If a 
class has been rushed through the lesson by an in- 
experienced or unfaithful teacher, who cannot, or 
will not, occupy the allotted time, he may impart 
a valuable hint by resuming the subject with them. 
Observations taken by a wide-awake superintend- 
ent during the recitation are worth much to him; 
and opinions thus formed will, when expressed, 
have weight with teachers who are trying to do 
their duty. They need encouragement ; and while 
constantly seeking to secure improvement of their 



336 School-room Work. 



work, do not forget to find, if you can, in the way 
they are doing it something to commend. Bring 
out the excellences as well as the defects. Some 
teachers, quite averse to criticism, are readily in- 
fluenced by judicipus compliment. 

The librarian, or his assistant, by neatly cut- 
ting, folding, assorting, tying, and addressing pack- 
ages for the various classes, will be prepared to 
issue the periodical literature at the close of the 
school in a fraction of the time commonly required, 
and without exciting the usual disorder. He can 
then hand to each teacher the appropriate package 
for distribution, and making another round, may' 
receive for preservation whatever surplus there 
may be. 

Five minutes before the close of the les- 
son tap the bell lightly, as a signal to officers and 
teachers. The advantages of this warning are 
many and decided. It gives steadiness to the 
movements of the school and readiness for the 
closing exercises. During this interval, books and 
periodicals are to be distributed as suggested in 
Chapter III., Part Eighth. 

Close on time. Some superintendents, who 
are punctilious in opening, fail to realize the im- 
portance of closing the school promptly. Let the 
time for school-room work be definitely understood, 
and, keeping faith, at the moment of its expiration 



Closing Exercises. 337 



Tap the bell, then wait for order, and wait 
until you get it. Learn to hold your temper, and 
keep your hand off the bell while waiting. Look 
first to your teachers for an example of prompt 
obedience to the signal, and have them feel that 
you expect their hearty cooperation in securing 
order in their respective classes. Wait until every 
book is closed, every paper folded and laid aside — 
until you have undivided attention. How long ? 
You ought to get it inside of sixty seconds. The 
writer has seen it given in less time than that by a 
city mission-school with an attendance of fifteen 
hundred. But if it takes you an hour to get it, 
w r ait. When you can speak without disturbance, 

Give out notices on occasion which may 
have originated since making announcements at 
the opening. If the school needs "talking up," 
confer with the pastor, and make a special appoint- 
ment for that purpose. Do some superintendents 
know the damage inflicted by their long-winded 
harangues at this point? Be brief. 

Singing. — The golden text and the central 
thought of the lesson, if not required at the open- 
ing, may be called for when the school rises to sing, 
as it always should at the close of the lesson, a 
grateful change of posture being induced. Use 
only a few appropriate stanzas. Practice music at 
some other time. 
22 



338 School-room Work. 



Reports. — The secretary and others who offer 
them should be required to stand in front of the 
school where they can be seen and heard, if what 
they have to say is worthy of attention ; if it is 
not, let it be declared a nuisance and treated ac- 
cordingly. 

The superintendent's review, when con- 
ducted skillfully, is beyond question one of the 
most attractive and potent features of Sunday- 
school work. The benefits conferred are too nu- 
merous to admit of detailed statement. It makes 
the superintendent something more than an official 
figure-head; it compels him to study. It makes 
him a religious teacher, and gives him spiritual 
power. It gives variety to the exercises, while at 
the same time it secures unity of design and har- 
mony of effort. It supplements defective teaching, 
reproves inefficient teachers, furnishes illustrative 
hints, and clinches the truths just taught, which 
thus become "as a nail driven by the master of 
assemblies in a sure place." 

To be effective, the review must be short, 
sharp, decisive — rarely exceeding five minutes, or 
involving more than one point, and always directed 
to heart and conscience. Three things are essen- 
tial — knowledge of the lesson, of the school, of a 
Saviour's love. Proceed rapidly, but steadily; 
putting appropriate pithy questions, front, right, 



Closing Exercises. 339 



and left — to teachers, to classes, to the whole school. 
Lose no time in repeating or waiting for replies 
when you are after facts. Get them by the short- 
est process. Then through them focalize the light 
upon the central truth. The blackboard,* when 
used discreetly, is an important adjunct. 

Dismission. — A spiritual stanza or two sung, 
the school standing; a short, earnest prayer for 
the Spirit's help in application of the lesson, com- 
mends itself to the judgment, as experience dem- 
onstrates it to be the best form of dismissal known. 
Always close with prayer, just a few, simple, ten- 
der words to Him without whose benediction all 
our labor is vain. 

Books, and other property of the school, should 
be carefully collected by the librarian and put un- 
der lock and key immediately after dismission. 

*See Chapter VIII., Part Eighth. 



PART EIGHTH. 

Miscellaneous Hints, 



CHAPTER I. 

THE EECOEDS. 

Membership. — What constitutes one a Sun- 
day-school member ? That depends on who happens 
to be the superintendent. The simplicity of the 
thing in some schools is equaled only by its defi- 
ciencies. A loose boy hears of a picnic in the near 
future. He takes a notion to go to Sunday-school 
— for awhile. He hunts up " a fellow that goes " — 
and goes. And takes a seat. And is " a member/' 
and "a little man" — until the goodies are gone — 
likewise the boy. Then he is "a little rascal.'' 
His name? There's the rub. Ten chances to one, 
if you should ask the teacher in whose class he 
achieved distinction as "a sitting member," the 
kind of clothes he wore and the quantity of candy 
that found its way into the various pockets thereof 
would have to be minutely described before the 
question could be narrowed down to "that Slippins 
boy," or "that other one." The probabilities are 
that nobody thought enough of him to ask for his 
name; for nobody seems to remember it; that he 
(340) 



The Records. 341 



was not asked where he lived, whether he intended 
to become a regular attendant, or any such thing ; 
that he never shook hands with superintendent, 
teacher, or any one else, over any agreement be- 
tween himself and the school. In which case it 
w T as from beginning to end a one-sided bargain — 
with the advantage all on the side of the boy. And 
now that he has come and gone, and left no trace 
behind upon any written record, the question might 
be fairly raised, Which is the guiltier, which the 
more deeply wronged — the boy or the school ? Was 
his motive worse than the school's methods? Be- 
fore judgment can be pronounced against him, it 
must be shown that the inducement to remain was 
as strong as the temptation to which he yielded in 
coming to the school. It is but just to say that 
any school in which the condition of membership 
falls below the point of requiring a registration of 
the names of those attending it is a flabby concern, 
likely at any time to fall to pieces sine die, through 
sheer disgust of itself. In the name of decency and 
order, brother, if your school is not provided with 
a record-book, get one as quick as you can. Send- 
ing up annually, to official bodies of the Church, 
statistical reports based on numerical guess-work 
is a thing no really conscientious superintendent 
will consent to. Neither will he be satisfied with 
polling the people who may chance to be present 



342 Incidentals. 



on a particular Sunday. Making false returns of 
religious work, when the truth is within easy reach, 
is an outrage. Think of a preacher guessing at the 
number of souls committed to his care, or counting 
and reporting as Church-members all who may 
happen to be in his congregation on a certain day 
of the year ! 

Enrollment. — Every Sunday-school ought to 
have a record-book, and in that book should be reg- 
istered the name of every bona fide member of the 
school — that is to say, the names of those who per- 
sonally, or through parents or guardians, consent to 
enrollment — and no others. You have no place for 
persons who come either as loafers or spies. Let 
those who insist upon it "look around" for a few 
Sundays; then courteously help them to a decision. 
Let it be distinctly understood that no name is to 
be entered by teacher or secretary without authority 
from the superintendent or his assistant. 

Marking Attendance. — Furnish each 
teacher with a card containing the roll of his class. 
Cards for this purpose may be had at a trifling ex- 
pense, and are more convenient than books, except 
for large classes. Have the secretary distribute 
them — placing on seats occupied by teachers — be- 
fore the school is called to order. At the proper 
time — -just before recitation — the secretary having 
called the roll of officers and teachers, the teachers 



The Records. 343 



will call class-rolls, mark attendance, and put the 
cards where the secretary can get them, without 
speaking a word or otherwise diverting attention. 
In the absence of a teacher, have a scholar attend 
to this duty without delay. Collecting the lists im- 
mediately after roll-call, the secretary will take 
them to his desk, or substitute therefor, transfer 
the attendance of each class to his record, and, 
making up a summary, is ready in a few minutes 
with his report, except as to one item — tardiness. 
The number of delinquents may be ascertained by 
counting the attendance of each class a short time 
before the close of the session, and deducting num- 
bers reported at roll-call. It is the secretary's 
business to keep the class-cards, or books, during 
the week, and distribute them on time, as suggested. 
Requiring teachers to take care of them, and call 
the roll while the secretary makes his report alto- 
gether independent of them, is an absurdity which 
accounts for the trouble experienced along this line 
in many schools. Discouraged by repeated fail- 
ures, records are frequently abandoned as of more 
trouble than profit. This is what might, without 
discourtesy, be styled swimming a stream to avoid 
a shower. 

Use of the Records. — Book-keeping is a ne- 
cessity in commercial life, where a person, or fir 
has capital invested and transactions with scores 



344 Incidentals. 



and hundreds of people. The unaided memory is 
not to be trusted in enterprises where money is 
involved ; no more is it where souls are at stake. 
Without a system of registration and records in a 
Sunday-school, losses are simply inevitable, and fail- 
ure among the probabilities. Making marks on 
paper amounts to nothing, except as a basis of after- 
thought. It is the duty of officers and teachers of 
a, Sunday-school to refer to the records, and to study 
them as a business man studies his day-book, jour- 
nal, and ledger ; to keep track of all that comes in 
and goes out; to know not only what is being done, 
but also what ought to be done, in order that the 
beneficent influence of the school may be felt far 
and wide. 

Reports. — The teacher, being required to re- 
port to the secretary, is compelled to account for 
every person belonging to his class. Thus the en- 
tire membership of the school is subjected to close 
personal inspection every Sabbath. Adhering to 
this system, not one escapes observation. But the 
matter must not end with the reading of the secre- 
tary's report and such brief remark as the super- 
intendent may with propriety make in the presence 
of the school. In some way or other — in the reg- 
ular teachers' class, or in special meetings called for 
the purpose from time to time — the teacher's sense 
of responsibility is to be stirred up and kept in 



The Records. 345 



lively exercise by an investigation, in his presence, 
of the record he is making. Certain scholars are 
reported absent — what reasons are assigned? what 
efforts have been made to bring them back? The 
attendance of the class is irregular — how accounted 
for, and what is the remedy? If the marking of 
attendance does not excite inquiries of this charac- 
ter, it is a meaningless performance, which should 
give place to something worthy of respect by reason 
of its purpose. 

Whether the monthly summary should be brought 
before the school is a matter each superintendent, 
in view of his peculiar surroundings, must deter- 
mine for himself; but the quarterly and annual 
reports should always be prepared, and submitted 
on occasions marked by special exercises, to which 
reference is made in another chapter. 



346 Incidentals. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE FINANCES. 

The True Theory. — The Church establish- 
ing a Sunday-school, and claiming supervision of it, 
ought to make definite and adequate provision for 
defraying its current expenses. To repudiate this 
principle is virtually to unchurch the school — to 
force it into a self-sustaining and independent atti- 
tude. It is, in point of fact, to generate a schism. 
With the recognition of the school as an institution 
of the Church, the question of financial duty is 
conceded. Further discussion is clearly out of or- 
der, save as it relates to ways and means in discharge 
of an acknowledged obligation. Presenting itself 
in this aspect, it is for the official Church-board to 
give it due consideration side by side with all other 
claims of like character. If necessary the coopera- 
tion of the school should be requested, otherwise 
their contributions should go to such benevolent 
objects as the school may elect and the Church ap- 
prove. Amounts collected and disbursed by the 
school should be accurately reported by its treas- 
urer at the stated meetings of the Church-board, 
and go to record with other fiscal operations of the 
Church. 

The prevailing policy is to let the Sunday- 
school take care of itself. As a result, com para- 



The Finances. 347 



tively few schools are to be found equipped as they 
should be for the service of which this arm of the 
Church is capable under favorable conditions. It 
is no exaggeration to say that most of them are in 
want of things absolutely essential to even a com- 
fortable existence. Some of them are reduced to 
actual beggary — the management resorting to the 
pitiful expedient of sending the children out into 
public places and from house to house to get money 
to keep the school alive. If post mortem inquests 
were held, as they should be, over such as annually 
cease to live and are reported as "suspended," it 
would probably appear that the majority of them, 
after suffering untold miseries from financial debil- 
ity, perish at last of positive starvation. In spite 
of protestations from surviving friends, truth re- 
quires that this inscription be written over the 
closed doors of most of the dear departed Sunday- 
schools: _.. - 

Died of an hmvpty Treasury. 

How often the grand objects that should fill the 
mind and possess the soul of a superintendent give 
way before the gaunt specter of approaching disso- 
lution ! How often the all-absorbing thought, and 
desire, is to save the school! How often only one 
thing is lacking — money! How often the whole 
matter resolves itself into this: the money must 
come, or the school must die! How often it fails 



343 Incidentals. 



to come, and the school is doomed ! Let those who 
are most skeptical take most pains to investigate, 
and make reply. Money is needed in our Sunday- 
schools, and more of it, to make them what they 
ought- to be by furnishing requisite educational fa- 
cilities. Adequate means are as necessary to the 
impartation of religious as of secular knowledge. 
Being equally abundant, they are equally attaina- 
ble in the one case as in the other. How are we 
providing for our Sunday-schools? Let us see. 

A Comparative View. — Putting tuition 
and books at an average of fifteen dollars, the cost 
of maintaining a secular school of fifty scholars is 
seven hundred and fifty dollars a year. So much 
for the head — and not too much. The money is 
wisely invested. Now for the heart — how much ? 
If the statistics at hand approximate the truth, the 
average amount expended in support of a Sunday- 
school of fifty scholars is not above seven dollars 
and a-half a year, or fifteen cents for each pupil ! 
And for all that, there are places — not in the 
"backwoods" — where success in "getting up mon- 
ey for the Sunday-school" is taken as an indication 
of genius. For, by common consent, the coaxing 
powers of ordinary mortals are not equal to the 
task. Think of it: for the secular school, seven 
hundred and fifty dollars; for the Sunday-school, 
seven dollars and a-half! For head-culture, fif- 



The Finances. 349 



teen dollars; for soul-culture, fifteen cents! One 
pupil one year in the secular school costing twice 
as much as fifty pupils in the Sunday-school ! The 
attention of those who look with suspicion upon a 
godless system of education by the State is earnest- 
ly invited to the shamefully inadequate support of 
our Sunday-schools, upon the efficiency of w T hich, as 
a countervailing agency, so much depends. As an 
incentive to diligence, this statement would seem 
sufficient : " The city of New York alone spends an- 
nually upon her daily public schools more money 
than is expended by all the Christians of the United 
States on Sunday-schools." * 

Benevolence Foiled. — So long as it is left 
to provide for itself, contributions by the school 
must of necessity be devoted, in whole or in part, 
to procuring supplies. That the income is ordina- 
rily insufficient for this demand alone is an obvious 
fact. It ought not to be so, but it is, and will so 
remain until a very decided change in existing 
financial operations is brought about. The school 
ought, most assuredly, to be trained to systematic 
benevolence. But such a thing is hopelessly im- 
possible while current expenses absorb every dime 
collected, and leave the school, as in most cases, 
quite short of what it actually needs. Attempts to 
force collections for outside objects, in the face of 
*Hart: Sunday-school Idea, p. 19. 



350 Incidentals. 



this stubborn fact, must ever come to grief. Once 
put the school upon a healthy financial basis, confi- 
dence will be inspired, and it may easily be led, 
step by step, to the development of charitable en- 
terprises.* The grand work of which our schools 
may be made capable in support of foreign mis- 
sions is as yet but dimly perceived by reason of 
the dominant spirit of self-interest confirmed in 
them by the great law of self-preservation in which 
they have been so rigorously trained. Lessons in 
the grace of giving rarely embrace more than this : 
Pay for what you cannot do without. So, debarred, 
as they have been, the blessing of a " liberal educa- 
tion," we expect little of them in the direction of 
pure benevolence; and verily, we are not often dis- 
appointed. Let the Church take away from the 
school occasion for self-seeking, and it may readily 
be taught that the end of giving is not gain, but 
giving. 

Definiteness. — The officers and teachers hav- 
ing in conference decided upon the objects for which 
it is desirable the school should contribute, let these 
be distinctly stated from time to time, and let the 
per cent, of collections devoted to each special pur- 

*"Asheville, N. C, Sept. 21, 1882.— ... The Sunday- 
school class is doing what it priposed. We give $75 per 
annum to missions, and $15.00 to literature." (Extract 
from a private letter to the author.) 



The Finances. 351 



pose be definitely understood. Do not suffer any 
to forget what the collections are for, why needed, 
and w T hen expected. But do not inflict speeches 
upon them ; beware especially of " that same old 
speech." Talk to the point, and stop. Put the 
matter always in a new light ; or, wanting time or 
talent, put the schedule of collections on placard, 
slate, or blackboard, and let it tell its own story. 
Most men who "lift collections" talk too much 
about money. The amount given is always in pro- 
portion to the indorsement of the cause. Get that, 
and the money will come if it is within reach. One 
collection taken to feed or clothe a poor family in 
the neighborhood, to establish a mission-school, to 
educate a heathen child, has in it more educational 
power than a dozen ordinary occasions of indefinite 
giving. Will our benevolent boards who look to 
Sunday-schools for help never take a hint? Do 
they know the value of autograph letters from " our 
missionary;" of photographs of "the little girl we 
are sending to school in China;" of "the church 
w r e send money to in Mexico ; " of the thousand and 
one like things which children w T ould so delight in 
as evidence of the reality of their service ? 

Weekly Collections. — The best system ever 
adopted for securing Sunday-school contributions is 
that of regular weekly collections. That it is best 
every intelligent Sunday-school worker knows. It 



352 Incidentals. 



lias stood the test of experience. It is simple, sen- 
sible, scriptural, and successful. As a system it 
meets every requirement. Still, there are hundreds 
of schools that have never given it a trial. "It 
does very well in town, but it will not work in the 
country," is the saying of some who are easily sat- 
isfied. As if "country people" were lacking in 
common sense! Isn't it high time to stop the cir- 
culation of such gratuitous slander? Among the 
many other shallow reasons for refusing the plan is 
this : " We are afraid it would drive poor people 
from us." And what follows its rejection? A ri- 
diculous begging expedition is set on foot; the 
Scripture lesson is every now and then sacrificed 
to speech-making and "passing the hat;" a big 
supper is given (?), and "grab-bag "proceedings 
duly sanctioned ; or, in the absence of such expe- 
dients, the officers and teachers foot the bills under 
protest, and, with heroic exceptions, grumble might- 
ily about it afterward. And more of the aforesaid 
poor people — for whom such tender concern is ex- 
pressed — are annually driven out-of-doors by the 
collapse of schools where such absurdities prevail 
than by all the regular weekly collections that have 
been taken since the first. The exact truth is, the 
schools that bring in most of the poor, and hold 
them longest, are those which provide most liber- 
ally for them by a system of weekly collections. 



The Finances. 353 



The gravest objection that can be brought against 
this plan is that it uncovers stinginess, wherever 
existing, by affording every one the plainest oppor- 
tunity of contributing what he ought. Properly 
explained, its equity is unmistakable, and once un- 
derstood no open-hearted person, however poor, 
will take exceptions to it. Once established, it will 
soon be proved that all the fears expressed were 
utterly groundless. It might be well for those who 
are so afraid of this just system to consider whether 
in its absence there is not an alarmingly fair pros- 
pect of training the young people to "sponge" on 
the Church for all they receive from it, and — using 
plainness of speech — of raising up a large crop of 
"dead -heads," of which there is no lack in the 
Churches that they should be multiplied by culti- 
vation. Who in this gospel-favored land is so poor 
as to have nothing to give to the cause of Christ? 
Taking as a standard " a certain poor widow," whom 
the Master has immortalized, is there one in a hun- 
dred? Out upon the abominable sentiment that 
credits the humble poor who frequent our churches 
with ability to support themselves during the week, 
and that pauperizes them when they enter the house 
of God on Sunday. Indulged under the guise of 
charity, it is as cruel as the grave, subverting the 
fundamental law of Christian citizenship — indi- 
vidual responsibility. Establish equal rights and 
23 



354 Incidentals. 



privileges by affording equal opportunities for giv- 
ing, and the ever - watchful Jesus, "sitting over 
against the treasury," may again and again be 
heard whispering to his disciples in your school, as 
some poor widow's child casts in a penny, "More 
than you all" 

Minor Details. — It is desirable to cultivate 
regularity of habit in giving. To this end let the 
treasurer be provided with copper pennies in amount 
sufficient to make change for all who are not able 
to contribute more than one cent at a time. If 
these cannot be had, printed " checks," or tickets, 
may be used. Small verse-tickets, given a certain 
value by the treasurer, will answer the purpose, and 
are very cheap. Change may thus be reduced to 
half a cent if need be. 

A superintendent of our acquaintance makes an 
annual estimate of the amount he wishes to raise 
during the year. This being announced, every 
member of the school, by voluntary assessment, 
agrees to pay a certain sum. The amount re- 
quired having been subscribed, pennies are fur- 
• nished, weekly collections are taken, and the money 
comes without a bit of trouble. Our friend the 
superintendent, who as a steward of the Church is 
charged with collecting the preacher's salary, says 
if the old folks would pay that as promptly as the 
children in the school do their assessments, it would 



The Finances. 355 



be more to his liking, and vastly better for all con- 
cerned. 

The Use of Envelopes. — In all that has 
been said, this feature of the system proposed has 
been contemplated. Without it weekly collections 
in the school are open to serious objections, and in 
many places would prove a disastrous failure. The 
use of envelopes is so important a part of the plan 
that we would hesitate to recommend it without 
them. With their introduction every objection 
vanishes. Printed envelopes, prepared especially 
for this purpose,* may be had for a trifle ; or the 
treasurer may get them up with a pen, ruling in 
squares to represent each Sunday of the quarter, 
dating along the margin, and writing the number 
of class and name of teacher across the end. These 
having been distributed previous to the opening of 
the session, the teacher, after the roll is called, 
gathers the contribution of the class, puts it in the 
envelope, and, marking the amount in the appro- 
priate square, places it where the treasurer can get 
it at any time without attracting attention. Collect- 
ing the envelopes, the treasurer counts the money to 
see that there is no mistake, enters upon his book 
the amounts to the credit of classes contributing, 
foots up the items, and is ready to make his 

Report. — In most schools the contribution of 
* See page 503. 



356 Miscellaneous Hints. 



each class should be announced; in those where 
there are classes of poor children, who would be 
humiliated by the contrast between their meager 
offerings and the larger gifts of others in good cir- 
cumstances, it must not be done. In this case let 
the total only be read, and if any need stimulating 
to increased liberality, the end can be reached by 
furnishing each class with a written statement of 
account monthly, and by private conference with 
the teachers. If he be a man of discretion, the wis- 
dom of the superintendent will be sufficient guide 
in all these things. Further suggestion would be 
lost upon any other. 



The Library and Its Management. 357 



CHAPTER III. 
THE LIBRARY AND ITS MANAGEMENT. 

Reading influences character, which in 
turn determines conduct and destiny. Its effects 
upon the soul are wrought by processes as silent 
and as certain as those through which seeds germi- 
nate, plants grow, and harvests mature. All of our 
young people read. The intellectual appetite in 
youth is as constant as the physical, and as impe- 
rious. Swift desire, under the spur of opportunity, 
overrides the judgment. Impelled by pangs of 
mental hunger, young people, wanting in discrim- 
ination, will devour any thing that comes to hand 
in the shape of reading-matter; so it suits the taste 
and fills the mind, the question is settled. They 
want something to read, and, good or bad, they 
will have it. 

Good literature blesses ; bad litera- 
ture blights. The difference is that of food 
and poison ; but, as a rule, there are no external 
signs by which it may be detected. The title of a 
publication is not to be depended upon as an indi- 
cation of its quality, any more than the style of 
type or binding. The druggist dispensing a dan- 
gerous article labels it in a peculiar way, that no 
harm may result. The skull and cross-bones on a 
package sent out by him give emphatic warning of 



358 Incidentals. 



the deadly nature of its contents, and parents are 
not satisfied with cautioning their children against 
it. To make assurance doubly sure, they put it out 
of the reach of them. But unscrupulous authors 
and publishers issuing pernicious literature employ 
no ghastly symbol of moral death to designate its 
character. The amount of pestiferous reading-mat- 
ter thus dispensed daily, in the shape of periodicals, 
can only be estimated by the ton, and in book-form 
by the thousand. Domestic prohibition and eccle- 
siastical indictment are of themselves ineffectual 
barriers against so great a flood. To keep these 
insidious publications out of reach of our young 
people is, under present conditions, a sheer impos- 
sibility. They can get them, if they wish to ; they 
can read them, if they will. So, to tell the whole 
truth, they do get them, read them, and are being 
poisoned by them. 

Why do our young people read so 
much trashy and vicious literature ? 
"Because our young people are so bad." That 
is the cut-and-dried morsel of argument which is 
rolled as a sweet seek-no-further answer under the 
tongues of many. With all the deference due this 
venerable and highly respectable subterfuge, we 
venture to suggest: 

1. Our young people, in a general way, read such 
literature because it is interesting to them. In their 



The Library and Its Management. 359 



choice of reading-matter, the important question 
usually is not whether it is characterized by the ab- 
sence of moral teaching or the presence of its oppo- 
site, but simply this : " Is it interesting ? " They read 
not with a definite intention of being made either 
better or worse, but from a desire to be entertained, 
modified more or less by a desire to learn some- 
thing new. Taking advantage of this fact, shrewd, 
unscrupulous publishers, for the sake of gain, spare 
neither money nor pains to make their wares at- 
tractive to their principal customers — the young. 

2. Another reason why they read so much of 
this kind is because " it is handy." It is every- 
where; it is cheap. They can easily borrow if 
they do not choose to buy. Now, 

Why do they not read more good lit- 
erature ? In addition to inferences which may 
be drawn from the facts just recited, w x e answer: 

1. Because much of it is uninteresting to them; 
and that not because it is good and they are bad, 
but because, good as it is, it was not intended for 
them — it is not adapted to them. Neither those 
w T ho wrote it nor they who published it ever ex- 
pected it to be read by them.* Again, much that 
is branded "For the Young" is good but gloomy 

*Some who dispense huge theological boluses from the 
pulpit are less discreet. They ''expect all the children to 
stay for preaching." Do they really? 



330 Incidentals. 



stuff, ground out in hours of enforced leisure, by 
well-meaning but mistaken persons of pious dispo- 
sitions and dyspeptic tendencies. Young people 
are sharper critics than they get credit for. Nei- 
ther the reputation of an author nor flattering "no- 
tices of the press " can warp their judgment in favor 
of a book of this class. Sound as to principles it 
may be, yet, false as to style, their condemnation of 
it is expressed in an unmistakable way — they refuse 
to read it. The most significant marks of juvenile 
approbation are thumb-marks. When these fail to 
appear beyond the first dozen pages of a book, the 
fateful verdict, from which there is no appeal, is 
pronounced against it. Like the unripe fruit of 
the Dyospyros Virginiana — better known as the 
persimmon — one taste is sufficient. Reading a pa- 
per or a book, as before remarked, not on account 
of its goodness or badness, but mainly for the inter- 
est it excites in them by reason of the style in which 
it is written, young people choose that in which 
this attractive element predominates. Fortunately 
for them, there is now a host of Christian writers 
devoting their choicest powers to the production of 
works at once helpful and engaging. They have 
realized the fact that goodness is not synonymous 
with dullness, nor badness with brightness. But — 
2. It must be admitted that the supply of good 
literature, adapted to the capacity of young people, 



The Library and Its Management. 361 



is limited as compared with that which must be 
classed as doubtful and dangerous. Grade for 
grade, the proportion of publications which a well- 
informed and conscientious person would not advise 
them to read is largely in excess of that which he 
would feel safe in recommending. We cannot say 
that those who would have had it otherwise are to 
be held to account for the existence of this deplor- 
able fact; but we do say that they are largely re- 
sponsible for the alarming proportions it has been al- 
lowed to assume. If, for example, the vigorous and 
wholesale denunciation of novels and novel-read- 
ers, to which our young people have been treated, 
had been accompanied by the vigorous, systematic, 
and Christian efforts that should have been made 
to supply them with something better, the progress 
of this tremendous evil would have been checked. 
No discerning mind can fail to perceive the fearful 
mistake that has been made at this point. Not 
only has the evil thus so vainly opposed overtaken 
us, but it has brought in its train others more ma- 
lignant, which overshadow us as a curse. How 
much of domestic, Sunday-school, and pulpit teach- 
ing is constantly being neutralized by it, God only 
knows. To the extent that hurtful reading-matter 
is circulated in excess of that which is pure and 
wholesome, by so much are the chances against the 
spiritual welfare of our young people. 



3S2 Incidentals. 



3. Still another reason why they do not read 
more good literature is that they have not been 
trained to do so. Like many other things, this of 
reading is largely influenced by habit. Children 
accustomed to the right kind at home form a taste 
for it. If plentifully supplied, they are not likely 
to crave that which is pernicious as they grow older. 
Too many parents seem to think they are doing their 
whole duty when they shelter, feed, and clothe their 
children. This they call taking care of them. On 
occasion, they buy text-books for them, and send 
them to school. The farmer's horses are sheltered, 
fed, curried, and blanketed. This he calls taking 
care of them. On occasion, he harnesses them, 
breaks them, and puts them to work. The distinc- 
tion in treatment must be admitted; the difference 
is of doubtful proportions. Children have souls, 
and their souls have needs as actual, as urgent, 
and as constant as those of their bodies. Being 
properly fed, they grow, increasing in wisdom and 
in favor with God and man. Deprived of nour- 
ishment, they are dwarfed and unfitted for noble 
service. There are thousands of young people in 
our midst to-day whose parents have never bought 
a single dime's worth of literature for them. 
Take the inventory: a Bible, a handful of school- 
books, a few old dry, musty volumes of a former 
generation, a few more marked "Pub. ])oc," a 



The Library and Its Management. 363 



patent medicine almanac, a political newspaper 
(run in the interest of party certainly, possibly 
containing the vilest of advertisements, and rancor- 
ous articles weekly, savoring of emanations from 
below) — these are the chances of such young peo- 
ple at home.* Once abroad, they will find forbid- 
den fruit on every hand. Prohibition in such a 
case will not prohibit. Rather than starve, they 
steal, and risk the consequences ; and that is what a 
great many of them are actually doing. Uprooted 
error is not exterminated except by planting truth 
in its place. Lecturing young people on what not 
to read, without a corresponding effort to furnish 
them something better, is an insult which will sure- 
ly be avenged. Having sown the wind, the reaping 
of the whirl wind follows. The reading of pernicious 
literature cannot be suppressed by empty anathe- 
mas ; it must be supplanted by toilful cultivation. 
In short, if we want our young people to read good 
literature, we must make the supply equal to the 
demand. Parents need to be taught that it is as 
much a duty to give their children something to 
read as it is to give them something to eat; that 
food for the soul is to be included in the idea of 

* If a new volume should be added, credit is probably 
due to that ubiquitous, eloquent, pertinacious, and much- 
abused person, "the book agent," or a circuit-rider on short 
commons. 



364 Incidentals. 



family supplies, and that it should be bought and 
paid for as cheerfully as food for the body ; that he 
that provideth not thus for his own, and especially 
for those of his own house, hath denied the faith of 
the gospel pertaining to the superior value of the 
soul, and is, practically, worse than an infidel who, 
accepting the doctrine that "man shall not live by 
bread alone," gives his children books as well as 
bread. 

Brethren of the ministry, have we dealt faith- 
fully with our people along this line? 

A Plea for the Sunday-school Libra- 
ry. — If we expect to hold the young people, we 
must perfect the title under w T hich we claim them. 
Sunday lessons must be supplemented and reen- 
forced by week-day reading. Preoccupancy of the 
mind is a strong point in the law of spiritual pos- 
session. If we would save our pupils from the in- 
fluence of bad books, we must supply them with 
good ones ; and if we are sincerely and intelligently 
concerned on the subject, we will furnish them to 
the extent of our ability. Good books, aside from 
the danger to be averted, are a power for good, 
and the Church ought to avail itself of this po- 
tent agency for educating, refining, Christianizing. 
Think of the opportunity afforded in the eighty- 
four thousand seven hundred and thirty Sunday- 
schools in the United States ! What a mighty tide 



The Library and Its Management. 365 



of influence, if each of these, as a living fountain, 
were sending down through the homes of the peo- 
ple a stream of bright, pure, health-giving litera- 
ture ! But alas, how many of them are, in this re- 
gard, but broken cisterns, from which the children 
turn away to slake their thirst at the polluted wa- 
ters of the world's providing ! Incredible as it may 
appear, comparatively few Sunday-schools are sup- 
plied with circulating libraries. So far from being 
the rule, they are the rare exceptions. Is there one 
school in twenty so furnished ? This writer doubts. 
Those whose attention has not been given to the 
matter would be amazed if the extent of this desti- 
tution should suddenly be brought to light. There 
.'s every reason to believe that a vast majority of our 
Sunday-schools, aside from lesson-helps, do not send 
out a single page of religious reading-matter from 
one year's end to another. Let those too poor to do 
better be pitied and provided for by the Church. Let 
those that are in this condition of deliberate choice — 
and there are multitudes of them — be brought to see 
the consequences of their folly. He who trusts to 
statistics for information on this subject leans upon 
a broken staff. Bibles, music-books, question-books, 
books coverless, books without beginning or end, 
good old dry-as-dust books, that even the good old 
class-leaders refuse to read — the moldy bones and 
crusts of a feast spread once upon a time for young 



366 Incidentals. 



people who are now fathers and mothers in Israel 
— these are all paraded annually as "Volumes in 
Library." No, brother, do n't trust the statistics. 
Schools that have not spent a dollar for library 
books in ten years send up handsome reports of 
"volumes in library." The unsuspecting preacher 
takes somebody's word for it, or, in a pinch, copies 
the figures of last year. The accurate and capable 
pastor does not ; he looks into things — and, among 
others, the Sunday-school library. 

Good books — books interesting and instruct- 
ive, books adapted to the wants of our young peo- 
ple — are sufficiently abundant to supply every 
Sunday-school in the land. We can get them, if 
we wish to ; we can get our pupils to read them, if 
we will. There is money enough in the Church to 
compass the one, as there is piety and intelligence 
enough, if properly directed, to accomplish the 
other of these objects. 

Periodicals. — Sunday-school papers serve a 
valuable purpose, but they can never supply the 
place of books. Most of them are gotten up ex- 
pressly for little children ; pupils in their teens do 
not relish them. There is a pressing demand for 
something of a higher order for the use of this lat- 
ter class. The religious press should furnish it at 
once. 

How to Get Good Books.— A library hav- 



The Library and Its Management. 367 



ing been determined upon, and the money collected 
to pay for it, the next thing is a judicious commit- 
tee — of not above three persons — on selection and 
purchase. Speaking from a good deal of vexatious 
personal experience in such work, we would advise 
the committee to take this course: 

1. Enter into correspondence with a publishing 
house, or dealer, entitled to your confidence and 
patronage by reason of facilities, fair dealing, ex- 
perience, and ecclesiastical relations. 

2. State the amount you wish to invest — cash 
payment. 

3. Give the number of pupils in each lesson 
grade. 

4. State whether the books are wanted for the 
entire school, or only certain grades ; and, in gen- 
eral terms, indicate the size and style of volumes 
desirable. 

5. Mention the titles of any books you wish in- 
cluded in the order. 

6. If ordering additions to an existing library, 
send a catalogue of books on hand, or otherwise 
designate what you do not want, that duplicates 
may not be sent. 

7. Make your order conditional — the firm to se- 
lect and forward the books, you retaining the priv- 
ilege of returning such as, on examination, the 
committee do not approve. Where large orders 



358 Incidentals. 



are made, and transportation is quick and safe, 
those dealing in such supplies may, if requested, 
send books outside of the order, on selection, with 
the privilege of returning. The advantages to the 
committee are thus largely increased. 

How to Hold the Books.— The loss of 
books has been a source of much annoyance and 
discouragement. Under the methods commonly 
employed, libraries that should do good service for 
years are within a few weeks scattered to the four 
winds — utterly wrecked. Sometimes they vanish 
like the mist, leaving not a single trace behind. It 
is not strange that Sunday-school workers, liberal 
as they are, should express themselves as " tired of 
buying books." Under such circumstances, they 
are hardly to be blamed for abandoning the library 
altogether. Now, is there any plan by which the 
books can be held ? There is, and we will pres- 
ently explain it; but, let it be understood in ad- 
vance, it is not automatic — it will not do the work 
of itself. It is simple in its operations, and suc- 
cessful as to results in the hands of those who are 
seriously in earnest. Books not worth holding 
are not worth buying. On the supposition that 
they are worth both, we recommend what we 
deem the best plan for schools generally. It is 
known as 

44 The Pigeon-hole and Card System." 



The Library and Jts Management. 369 



As here presented, or with slight modification, it is, 
we venture to say, employed in every school where 
books are held. It costs something at the begin- 
ning; it is worth, in the long run, all that it costs, 
and more — it will save the library. 

The library-case must be a practical expres- 
sion of this idea — a place for every book, and every 
book in its place. Instead of open shelves, pigeon- 
holes should be fitted up after this fashion : 



In grooves cut in shelves above and below insert 
thin partition-strips, two inches apart. Tin may be 
used, but w r ood is better. Cigar-box stuff may be 
utilized for this purpose. The pigeon-holes should 
be large enough to admit the books easily, space 
being left at the top to facilitate handling. Num- 
ber them plainly, from the upper left-hand corner 
of the case. Give each volume its place and corre- 
sponding number. Numeral labels, ready gummed, 
are very convenient, and cost but ten cents a hun- 
dred. 

A catalogue is now to be made out in alpha- 
betical order, the library number of each book pre- 
24 



370 Incidentals. 



ceding its name and the number of its pages — in 
this manner: 

No. Name. Pages. 

49. Self-help 422 

One or more copies of this catalogue will be needed 
for the use of each class. They are better in print, 
but, on the score of economy, may be written. In 
a graded school, owning an extensive library, the 
books are classified in separate catalogues for the 
use of the different departments. A catalogue may 
be given to each scholar, so that selections may be 
made at home. 

Cards. — Two kinds are required — one to be used 
by scholars in ordering books, the other to be used 
by the librarian as a check for each book issued.* 

Selecting the Books.— We will suppose 
that each scholar has been furnished a card con- 
taining his name and class number. On taking 
his seat, before the opening exercises have begun, 
he will find a catalogue at hand, if not furnished 
for home use. Making selections from the list of 
titles, he writes in one square of his card the sev- 
eral corresponding library numbers designated in 
the catalogue. All having thus made their orders, 
the cards of each class, together with the catalogues, 
are placed within reach of the librarian passing 
along the aisle. 

* See specimens, pages 504, 505. 



The Library and Its Management. 371 



Filling the Orders. — At the conclusion of 
the opening exercises, the librarian collects the 
cards, class by class, takes them to the library, and 
places them in packages before him. His library 
cards, or checks, are similarly arranged. Begin- 
ning with Class 1., he sees that George Heap's card 
calls for book No. 49. Taking the book from the 
case, he cancels the order for 49, and slips the card 
into the book, leaving the address exposed. Then 
canceling the date on the margin of the library card 
bearing George Heap's name, he puts it in pigeon- 
hole 49, in place of the book, as a check against 
the borrower. If 49 is out, another number called 
for by the card is issued. Hence the propriety of 
several orders on the same card. Arranging them 
in class packages as he proceeds, when the bell 
taps for closing the recitation the librarian is ready 
for 

Distributing the Books. — The process is 
quite simple. The package belonging to each class 
is handed to the teacher, who, after dismission, 
gives each scholar the book indicated as his by the 
card contained. 

Books returned should be handed to the 
librarian, or deposited in a certain place near the 
entrance-door, as he may direct. A receptacle di- 
vided into compartments is employed where it is 
desirable that the books of each class be kept to- 



372 Incidentals. 



gether. When the returned volume goes into its 
pigeon-hole in the library-case, the borrower's check 
comes out, and cancels the claim against him. Li- 
brarians working at the case must not be inter- 
rupted. Silence secures accuracy. 

Advantages of this System. — Punctual- 
ity is encouraged : orders for books must be made 
out before school opens. Confusion and interrup- 
tion of the lesson are avoided. Time is saved — one 
minute sufficing for the distribution of books in the 
largest school. The books are held, and money 
saved. The librarian can tell in an instant how 
long a book has been out, and by whom taken. 
Notice can be served upon delinquents, verbally 
or in writing. The system is very simple and ef- 
fective in all its operations, and to be appreciated 
needs but to be seen. Last, but not least, it dis- 
countenances a species of embezzlement which, un- 
der the temptations of looser methods, has been 
practiced until it has taken on the gloss of respect- 
ability. To allow pupils to keep books which do 
not belong to them is to train them to dishonesty. 

Other Suggestions. — Teachers should fa- 
miliarize themselves with books in the library, that 
they may be able to assist scholars in making selec- 
tions. 

Cards should be issued by the secretary only, 
under orders from the superintendent. Exercise 



The Library and Its Management. 373 



due caution in extending library privileges to tran- 
sients, or "floaters." 

Serve notice regularly upon such as do not 
return books within the prescribed time, and fur- 
nish the superintendent with a list. In the case of 
absent scholars, notify teachers. Scholars should be 
held to account for wanton injury or loss of books. 
Suspension of privilege for this cause should occur 
more frequently than it does. 

Muslin bindings may be preserved from the 
attacks of insects by scattering pulverized borax, 
or insect-powder, in the case. 

A good lock, that everybody's key will not fit, 
suits the case exactly. 

Music-books are hardest to hold. Paste on the 
outside of covers a colored label, three by five 
inches, containing something like this, in large, 
heavy-face type : 



THIS BOOK 

BELONGS TO 

CHURCH STREET SUNDAY-SCHOOL, 

M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. 



Talcing it from the school-room is positively forbidden. 



It should be the special duty of one of the libra- 
rians to take care of this property, counting weekly, 
and reporting losses promptly to the superintend- 



374 Incidentals. 



ent. Take immediate steps to recover what is miss- 
ing, and to check further smuggling. Let those 
who are able buy for home use. If exceptions are 
made in favor of the poor, have the librarian take 
a receipt, obligating returns for use in the school 
every Sunday. This is no trivial matter. Reck- 
lessness here blunts the moral sense of pupils, and 
breaks the influence of the school by robbing it of 
one of its chief attractions — good singing. The 
school and all of its belongings being consecrated 
to the worship and service of God, the wise super- 
intendent will see the propriety of using a counter- 
irritant when symptoms of scribbler's itch are de- 
veloped in the pages of the music-books. 

(P. S. — The reader is expressly cautioned against 
limiting this hint to the Sunday-school service.) 

Periodicals should be folded in class packages, 
and distributed at the same time and in the same 
manner as the books. Keep the surplus in good 
condition. Give away all you do not need. Get 
preachers, lawyers, and merchants to assist you in 
putting "old papers" where they will be appreci- 
ated and read. Do n't allow them to accumulate 
as rubbish in the library, on top of it, among the 
benches, in the pulpit, on the communion-table — as 
the slovenly manner of some is. 

Primary Department. — The library for this 
grade should be separate and apart from that of 



The Library and Its Management. 375 



the main school, and in charge of a special libra- 
rian if the class be large. Where catalogues can- 
not be furnished for making selections at home, the 
librarian must issue the books and keep a record. 
By charging plainly, and canceling so that figures 
remain legible, he can without difficulty avoid giv- 
ing a pupil the same book twice. Issues should be 
charged in columns under date at top of record- 
page. Slip into each book a card bearing the 
name of the scholar who is to receive it. All 
being provided for, distribute books at close of 
school — retaining the cards. 



376 Incidentals. 



CHAPTER IV. 
SPECIAL OCCASIONS. 

Their Propriety. — That is a fortunate school 
which has a corps of officers and teachers gifted 
with ability to make the regular weekly exercises 
of the school constantly attractive and profitable. 
The history of by far the greater number is that 
of a melancholy tendency to dull routine — a kind 
of gravitation which, unchecked, eventuates in a 
form of godliness without the power. " Our school 
is going down," is the popular way of expressing 
this condition. "It is dead," is the by no means 
uncommon sequel. "If," as has been truly said, 
" order is heaven's first law, variety is the second." 
Both are essential to Sunday-school life. A thing 
may be ever so good, but when it comes to be " that 
same old thing over and over," people tire of it 
and demand a change*. This is especially true of 
young folks, and it is not from perverseness either, 
but from a deep-seated and beneficent law of our 
being. To attempt its subversion in the operations 
of the school is the height of folly. Having treated 
of this matter somewhat at length in its relation to 
the ordinary processes of the school -room, a few 
words will suffice with regard to some specific 
phases of its development. 

Quarterly Meetings. — Special exercises 



Special Occasions. 377 



monthly are often undertaken and soon abandoned. 
Frequency destroys the charm of novelty. The 
interest excited at the outset cannot be sustained 
without such a draft upon the school as diverts 
its energies and defeats superior objects. Once in 
three months is often enough. This affords ample 
time for preparation without embarrassing regular 
work. On the contrary, it may be directly pro- 
moted by making the quarterly lesson review the 
principal feature of the occasion. In all that is 
here suggested, the presence of the congregation by 
special invitation is taken for granted. " Exami- 
nations " belong to the ordinary work of the school. 
Here an audience is to be entertained and profited. 
Bear this in mind. Variety must be studied. Plans 
must be adapted to the circumstances of the school. 
Classes should be notified in advance of the part 
each is to take. Give little folks easy lessons. Be 
thoroughly prepared for what you propose doing, 
so that it may be executed without hesitation or 
embarrassment. If necessary have rehearsals on 
week evenings, with the distinct understanding that 
the attendance of spectators is not desired. Talk 
much, without telling much, of what you have in 
preparation. Excite curiosity, and the people will 
come; give them something really enjoyable, and 
they will be glad to come again. The order of ex- 
ercises is suggested in the following schedule. 



378 



Incidentals. 



Schedule. 



1. Song. 

2. Scripture - lesson and 
prayer. 

3. Song. 

4. Review classes 3 and 8. 
(Ask teacher of No. 3 for 
topic of first lesson of the 
quarter; the class for the 
golden text; question class 
on leading points. Class 8 
takes the second lesson, and 
so on.) 



5. Recitation. 

6. Review classes 5, 4, and 
2. 

7. Select reading. 

8. Review classes 10, 9, 
and 7. 

9. Song. 

10. Review classes 1 and 6. 

11. Reports and remarks 
by pastor, superintendent, 
and invited speakers. 

12. Dismission. 



The singing should be spirited. Introduce so- 
los, duets, quartets, riot omitting popular choruses, 
nor forgetting to say, " Let all the people sing." 

The recitations and readings must be in good 
taste, adapted to the occasion, and delivered in a 
befitting manner. Guard against ostentation and 
noise. The "wee ones" should have a part either 
singly or in concert. 

The reports read by the secretary and other 
officers must be to the point. Do not tax the pa- 
tience of the assembly with a long array of figures 
which cannot be remembered. Show what you 
have been doing during the quarter by comparison 
with previous reports. 

Remarks must be limited. Ring speakers down 
when their time is out. Pathos and chaste humor, 



Special Occasions. 379 



moving to tears and smiles, are well enough, but 
not at the expense of solid truths. Appropriate 
references to facts brought out in the reports are 
always in order, and should never be omitted. 

Brevity. Make a close calculation of the time 
your programme will require. Cut it down to one 
hour. Send the people home wishing that you had 
continued longer rather than that you had quit 
sooner. 

Time and Place. In the church, Sunday even- 
ing, by consent of the pastor, is best. Any thing 
not appropriate then and there you had better let 
severely alone. " Do all things to the glory of God." 

The Benefit. — Properly conducted, these quar- 
terly services are a power for good. They become 
rally ing-points for the school, the Church, the com- 
munity, in the cause of Christian education, as well 
as points of departure in pursuit of larger results. 
Such meetings would infuse new life into many a 
dispirited school; would save many from suspend- • 
ing and dying. If you have never done so, try it. 
You will be delighted ; but be careful lest it be- 
come a hobby and run away with your judgment. 
The danger at this point is not imaginary. j 

Anniversaries. — Varying the programme to 
suit the more unusual and important occasion, the 
yearly meeting may be made an event of great in- 
terest. In some places all the schools unite in 



380 Incidentals. 



commemorating it. Thus, in the spring of 1882, 
the Sunday-school people of Brooklyn, New York, 
celebrated "Children's Day" by marching in pro- 
cession fifty thousand strong! Who for such a 
spectacle would not be stronger in faith, in hope, in 
charity? 

Picnics and Christmas festivals wisely 
managed may be worthily employed as incentives 
in Sunday-school work. That they frequently cost 
more then they come to, it is idle to deny. This 
always occurs when they are carried beyond the 
bounds of religious propriety ; when they are made 
extravagant feasts in the midst of a famine. The 
school without library, papers, maps, charts, black- 
board, short of Bibles, Testaments, music-books, 
lesson -helps, possibly without a stove or fuel to 
keep itself from freezing to death, spending all it 
can command on "a grand excursion" — this illus- 
trates the latter idea. Christmas presents under 
similar circumstances are equally inappropriate. 
Indeed, the whole question of Sunday-school Christ- 
mas presents is under shadow of doubt in the minds 
of those who have had most experience in this line. 
They are a fruitful source of disappointments, 
jealousies, and general disaffection. The safest 
w r ay is to have none of them. An attractive con- 
cert exercise, followed by a distribution of choice 
candies, nuts, etc., in paper bags — treating all ex- 



Special Occasions. 381 



actly alike — is recommended as the most approved 
substitute. Skillfully managed, this always proves 
satisfactory. 

Concerts. — These for special reasons are some- 
times desirable. A variety of exercises conven- 
iently arranged for such entertainments are pub- 
lished in leaflet or tract form. While some of them 
are in bad taste, others are admirably calculated for 
both pleasing and instructing. By substituting 
familiar songs, and making such other slight 
changes as are necessary to adjust them to local 
conditions, they will be found quite valuable. 
Guard against sensational effects as a leading 
object, if you would secure the blessing of the 
Master's presence. 

Children's Meetings. — Prayer, inquiry, 
and experience meetings for the especial benefit of 
the Sunday-school children are often productive of 
the happiest results. We are persuaded that but 
for our pride of unbelief they would be more fre- 
quently held. We talk much about the duty of 
bringing the children to Christ. So far so good. 
Now in the dear name of Him who said, "Suffer 
the little children to come unto me, and forbid 
them not, for of such is the kingdom of God," let 
us by special effort bring them while they are yet 
willing, and while yet the arms of our faith are 
strong enough to carry them. If we bring them 



382 Incidentals. 



to Jesus he will take them up in his arms, put his 
hands upon them, and bless them as aforetime. 
We cannot save them. He can. Why do we not 
bring more of them to him? One substantial 
reason is this — our methods are defective. They 
are stereotyped, they are exclusive, they are for 
grown folks. The children are virtually forbidden, 
and the Master is " much displeased." Special proc- 
esses must be adopted if we would see them in his 
embrace. They must be brought as children in 
home -like ways that will suggest themselves to 
every child-like soul-seeker. 



Teachers' Meetings. 383 



CHAPTER V. 
TEACHEKS' MEETINGS. 

For what purpose ? Mutual assistance in 
developing the facts and principles of the next 
Sunday's lesson ; in acquiring correct methods of 
teaching; in shaping and directing the affairs of 
the school ; these are the principal objects. 

Of what benefit? It is quite unnecessary to 
discuss this question. No one who brings the light 
of reason to bear upon the subject can fail to per- 
ceive that such weekly conferences — intelligently 
conducted — must make better officers, better teach- 
ers, and a better school. The conviction is inevit- 
able ; every school should have its teachers' meet- 
ing, if such a thing is within the bounds of pos- 
sibility. The duty is often refused; but seldom, 
if ever, denied. With the local circumstances 
limiting its performance we can have nothing to 
do. Any question on that score must be left to 
the individual judgment under the dictates of the 
individual conscience. 

Time and Place. — The best time is early in 
the week ; the best place that in which most teach- 
ers can be brought together. In the nature of the 
case, no definite rule can be given. In some in- 
stances meetings can be held in rotation at the 
homes of officers and teachers on week-day even- 



384 Incidentals. 



ings. This is preferable in many respects, but not 
always practicable; in which event, they may be 
held in the church on Sunday afternoon, or, where 
nothing better can be done, at the close of the 
weekly prayer -meeting. The considerate pastor 
will do what he can to prevent the interruption of 
this appointment by other Church service. 

The Session. — Forethought on the part of 
the superintendent will do much toward making 
the meeting a success. Personal appeals are nec- 
essary to secure the attendance of some; if in the 
evening escorts must be provided for ladies, the 
room must be rendered comfortable, plans matured 
for occupying the time most profitably, etc. 

How Conducted. — The meeting should be 
under the direction of the superintendent. If he 
is not at first competent to the task, he may soon 
become so by diligent effort. He should not be 
satisfied w T ith himself short of such qualification. 
But it does not follow that he is to exercise his 
prerogative as leader in an exclusive way. How- 
ever capable he may be, such a course would be 
most unwise, especially where there are others quite 
as efficient as himself. His leadership will be wide 
of the mark if it fails to recognize that quality in 
some and develop it in others. In the study of 
the lesson, and in the presentation of the best 
methods of teaching, he should avail himself of 



Teachers' Meetings. 385 



suitable opportunity for bringing the pastor and 
successful teachers to the front. Regular rotation 
out of compliment to teachers is rarely satisfactory ; 
never adopt it at the outset. Those who are to lead 
should come prepared for that duty. Begin the 
session with prayer. Open promptly, proceed with 
animation, close on time. Dawdling, dragging 
along, and hanging on, have killed many a promis- 
ing young teachers' meeting. 

The Lesson. — This should always be first in 
order. Read the text carefully, note its connec- 
tions, make an analysis of it in order to get the 
general subject distinctly before the class. Now 
bring out the facts and doctrines, clearly, concisely ; 
pass at once to a consideration of what may be 
obscure, discuss difficulties as thorough tly as pos- 
sible, use all the helps at command, and proceed 
to practical lessons. Suppress all controversy that 
does not lead in this direction. Knowledge of the 
text is valuable only as wisdom gives it application. 
Keep the class busy ; recapitulate the main points 
at the expiration of time allotted to this exercise, 
and turn attention upon methods to be pursued in 
teaching the lesson. Such questions as these may 
be propounded: "Miss A., how do you propose to 
gain the attention of your class?" "How will you 
introduce the subject, Brother B. ? " " The language 
in verse 14 is obscure; the children in your class 
23 



336 Incidentals. 



will hardly comprehend it, Mrs. K.. ; can you put it 
in simpler form ? " " Brother G., how will you de- 
velop the idea in verse 15?" "Does Miss S. see 
in the lesson any thing of special importance to 
her class of boys; if so, what?" "The principle 
set forth in verses 20, 21 is capable of illustration 
from daily life ; in what way, Brother C. ? " " Mrs. 
F. apprehends difficulty in explaining the language 
of the Saviour in verse 24 ; can any one suggest a 
method by which the true meaning may be made 
plain to the little girls in her class?" "Brother K. 
will please give us the plan he proposes to follow in 
instructing his class of young men next Sunday, 
and the practical applications he will make." 

Special topics, relative to the teacher's office 
and work, should be occasionally discussed ; for ex- 
ample, habits of personal study, recruiting the 
class, holding the scholars, securing attention, 
scholars' preparation of the lesson, etc. The super- 
intendent should also develop the opinions of the 
teachers with reference to the general management 
and interests of the school. There is one question 
of vital importance which should in some form be 
frequently brought up in the teachers' meeting. Is 
there any manifestation of special religious interest 
among the scholars? Let it never be lost sight of. 

Business Affairs. — The three departments — 
legislative, executive, and judiciary — are essential 



Teachers' Meetings. 387 



to good government in the Sunday-school. It can- 
not do well if these be not incorporated in its 
system. It does best where they are brought into 
healthy and harmonious exercise. All legislation 
affecting the material interests of the school should 
proceed from the officers and teachers in joint as- 
sembly. It is for the superintendent and his sub- 
ordinates to see that the will of the school thus ex- 
pressed is faithfully executed ; while the Church, 
through her official representatives, takes cogni- 
zance of the legality and propriety of the actions 
of both. No business transaction is strictly legiti- 
mate which does not in some way receive the 
sanction of the joint board, and without such 
board, regularly convened, a school is radically 
defective in both organization and government. 
Superintendents who complain that they " have to 
carry the whole school" have — except in the rarest 
instances — only themselves to blame. They have 
usurped functions which do not belong to them. 
There is only one thing worse, and that is thrusting 
affairs upon the school in committee of the whole. 
Keep the discussion of business out of the school, 
dispose of all transactions of this character in the 
teachers' meeting, and it will be found that " keep- 
ing up a Sunday-school " is not the soul-crushing 
task it is often represented to be. 

Difficulties. — It is easier to start a teachers' 



388 Incidentals. 



meeting than to keep it going. A momentary en- 
thusiasm may be sufficient for that, but this will 
require both faith and patience in large degree. 
Let it be so understood at the outset. The novelty 
will wear off, and the burden will probably be 
devolved upon the shoulders of a few. If the su- 
perintendent find the whole responsibility resting 
upon him, he need not despair as though some 
strange thing had happened unto him. If he bear 
himself bravely as a man of God intrusted with a 
great work, he will find himself strangely enabled 
in the performance of it. If he determines by 
God's grace to succeed, he will not fail, though 
sometimes only two or three out of a score of 
teachers keep the engagement — there is Another r 
who has promised to be in the midst; his presence 
affirms success. 



The Service of Song. 389 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE SEKVICE OF SONG. 

Its Uses. — It is chief among the attractions 
of the Sunday-school; it is indispensable. It de- 
velops God-given musical talent in a wonderful 
way ; it carries the gospel on wings of melody into 
hearts and homes that else would never receive it; 
it trains the young for service in earthly sanctu- 
aries, and for the grand chorus of redemption in the 
bright beyond. If it is not made available in con- 
nection with the preaching-service, it is the preach- 
er's fault ; he lacks capacity or purpose. The ben- 
efits conferred upon the individual, the home, the 
Church, the world, by the simple melodies of the 
Sunday-school, are beyond computation. Like 
every other good thing, this is liable to abuse ; it has 
not escaped — its perversions have been many and 
grievous. Some of these have been indicated else- 
where, others will be brought to view in remarks 
following. 

In the School-room.* — The singing should 
be the very best of which the school is capable. 
It should have an ample supply of music-books. 
There is no lack of them in the market. There is 
only one difficulty in getting them — they have to be 
paid for in cash. A school too poor to pay ought 

* See page 296. 



390 Incidentals. 



to be helped; and the pastor ought to beg for it if 
need be. A school that is too stingy to buy plenty 
of music-books is too mean to live long. Get note- 
books for all who need them, those without notes 
for the little people, and when you have them hold 
them. All this is easier said than done, of course; 
but the point remains — it can be done; and if it 
is not, let the blame fall where it belongs — with 
those whose business it is to do it. Do n't pack it 
off on the children. 

An Abomination. — A self-constituted choir 
— a select few, serenading "the small fry" of the 
school. We plead for the long-suffering little folks. 
Give them a living chance. Don't "scrouge" 
them out. Sing something they know, until you 
can teach them something new. Read the piece; 
have the children read, or recite, after you until the 
words are familiar. 

Rehearsals. — Good music is the result of 
faithful work ; the school to sing well must practice 
diligently. Let an hour of each week be set apart 
for this purpose, and marked improvement will 
soon be seen. If time must be taken when the 
school assembles in regular session, then by all 
means let it be before, not after, the recitation. A 
musical drill, or dress-parade, at the close of the 
lesson is the dead fly in the otherwise excellent 
ointment of many schools. If it must be at the 



The Service of Song. 391 



close of school, close the school in due form — then 
sing. It is, by all odds, best to practice at another 
hour. In some places Sunday afternoon furnishes 
opportunity. Choose a time when the children can 
be present, and make it a point to have them come. 
Have a time to begin, a time to rest, a time to close, 
and having a schedule stick to it. Seat the school 
compactly about the organ, or leader, the little folks 
in front — grouping the various parts. Open with 
a familiar song, to get "in tune." When attention 
to business has been secured, try a new piece ; follow 
it with an old one of the school's choice. If after 
a fair trial you find a new piece unpopular, run 
your pencil across that page ; the composer may 
be a master, and you may be delighted with the 
music, but if it does n't strike the school that way 
you had better give it the go-by and say nothing 
further about it. The school knows what it likes 
better than you do ; that is, if the writer's experi- 
ence is worth any thing. Musical experts will go 
too fast for the average ; hold them in check, else 
you will have them clamoring for a new book just 
as the body of the school is beginning to enjoy 
what has been learned, and before the half that is 
relished is fairly tasted. The facility with which 
some schools sing out the old and sing in the new 
is enough to make an operatic star turn pale by 
contrast. Singing in good time is of first impor- 



382 Incidentals. 



tance. Insist upon it. Call a halt in the middle 
of a verse if carelessness is observable. The bigger 
the noise the better the music, seems to be the rule 
with some. For pity's sake, brother, break it up 
if it prevails in your school. Harmonize quantity 
with quality; sing a piece in the spirit of it; study 
the sentiment, be governed by it, teach it ; show the 
school the difference between "Almost persuaded " 
and " Halleluiah, 't is done." Do not snub intelli- 
gence and pervert the taste of the young people by 
making choruses of solos, trios, duets, and quartet 
music; render the thing as the composer indicates 
in the notes. Sing without the organ occasionally, 
to prepare for an emergency that is likely to con- 
front you in the school-room. Train your people 
to a reasonable independence of the instrument. 

Recreation. — Midway between the opening 
and closing of the rehearsal, give a breathing-spell 
of five or ten minutes. There is music in a rest of 
this kind, if the singing has been kept up steadily 
as it should be. During this interval impose no 
restraint except such as may be due to time and 
place — as in Church on Sabbath. Harmony will 
be improved by sociability. Resume promptly, 
practice vigorously, and stop short at the appointed 
time. 

Order. — Rehearsals should always be conduct- 
ed under the eve of an officer of the school. It is 



The Service of Song. 393 



the leader's business to train the school in singing; 
that will sufficiently occupy his attention if he does 
his duty; keeping order must be left to some one 
else. Have a positive understanding that all who 
can are to sing, and that others are to maintain a 
respectful silence. If an interruption occurs, stop 
the singing on the instant and state the cause ; if 
the offense is persisted in, dismiss the meeting quietly 
but firmly, assigning the reason ; keep cool, avoid 
personalities. Thoughtlessness, rather than a serious 
intention to create disturbance, is usually at the 
bottom of the mischief. Treat the case judiciously, 
and disturbing elements will be allayed without 
further commotion. Making a fuss to stop a noise 
is the climax of folly. 

The Hid Talent. — We are of those who believe 
that every variety of talent given of God to man 
should be consecrated to his service. Some have 
the gift of oratory, and exercising it for the public 
good, we delight to do them honor while we listen 
and enjoy the benefit. Some have a talent for 
music which is carefully cultivated in the schools ; 
and to what end? That the fortunate possessors 
may make home happier? Well and good. That 
they may shine in society? There are social ob- 
ligations to be discharged; the manner in which 
this is to be done it is not pertinent here to discuss. 
But the long-continued music-lessons ; the tedious 



394 Incidentals. 



drill in "exercises" under the tuition of a well- 
paid professor ; the wonderful proficiency finally at- 
tained — is all this to find its highest expression in 
the brilliant rendering of sentimental ballads, of 
gems from the opera, of schottische, waltz, galop, 
and racquet, with their endless and incredible va- 
riations? Admitting the educational value of such 
compositions, even pleading guilty to a charge of 
having an appreciative ear for them on proper oc- 
casion, the question we would raise is this : Of what 
value to the cause of Christ is the musical edu- 
cation which has no sort of reference to service 
in the Church of Christ? Skillful fingers and 
cultivated voices are now to be found in almost 
every intelligent community, while in the homes of 
the people cabinet organs and pianos are becoming 
common articles of furniture. And yet, with all 
these advantages, the singing in many of our Sun- 
day-schools and in most of our Churches, on ordi- 
nary occasions, may be truthfully characterized as 
wretched. Here, for example, at Stylesburg is a 
congregation in which out of a dozen competent 
persons not one, in the absence of the regular leader 
or organist, can be induced to raise the tune or touch 
the instrument in either Sunday-school or Church 
service. The petty devices resorted to by "accom- 
plished musicians " in avoidance of the duty need 
not be detailed. Some of them lie on the border- 



The Service of Song. 395 



land of truthfulness ; some are quite over the border, 
and on the wrong side of the line. God has en- 
dowed his Church with all the musical talent req- 
uisite to the accomplishment of its work. But it 
is not available. Why ? 

Diffidence. — This is the excuse commonly ren- 
dered by those refusing. There is reason in it; 
still it is not altogether easy to harmonize it with 
the notorious fact that of the dozen proficients allud- 
ed to, there is not one but would feel slighted if at the 
social gathering, or musicale, he or she should not 
be specially invited — nay, even urged — to favor the 
company with a song or instrumental performance. 
Musicians are proverbially sensitive — they are so by 
a necessity of their nature; God made them so in 
order to the development of this special faculty 
for music. Let hasty judgments of them be sus- 
pended in the light of these facts, and harsh words 
will be less frequently used. It is not just to at- 
tribute their compliance in social circles and their 
refusal in Church wholly to unworthy motives ; for 
by both training and public sentiment they are 
fortified against embarrassment in the one case as 
they are not in the other. And so long as these 
children of the Church are educated for society 
life rather than for self-sacrificing Church-service, 
there will be no end of trouble along this line. 

Query. — Have they been fairly dealt with? 



396 Incidentals. 



We think not. A good speaker on a good theme 
is regarded as having a perfect right to be heard, 
and is importuned to exercise his gift freely in 
public; while his brother with an endowment next 
of kin to oratory is looked upon with no small 
suspicion if he makes himself conspicuous in the 
exercise of it — especially if he betrays a trace of 
youthful ambition. " Vanity of vanities," says the 
disgruntled preacher, "all is vanity." Speaking 
for Jesus is specifically enjoined upon even the 
disciples of a day. May not singing for Jesus be 
greatly encouraged by crediting the singer with as 
pure a heart, as exalted a motive, and as legitimate 
a mission as can be claimed for the speaker ? There 
will be abuse of privilege no doubt, but is the gift 
of speech less liable to prostitution than the gift 
of song? 

By Way of Application. — The idea we 
wish to emphasize is that this particular faculty 
should be recognized in the Church as the gift of 
God, that it should he utilized by the Church to 
the fullest extent, that our young people should be 
trained in the Sunday-school to give its best ex- 
pression in the service of Christ. Our Sunday- 
schools and Churches should strive to produce music 
artistically as good as the best, and morally and re- 
ligiously infinitely better than the best to be found 
in all the world beside. Methodism sung itself 



The Service of Song. 397 



into the hearts of the people by singing from the 
heart in a free, fearless way as the Spirit gave 
utterance. The instruments were rude enough, but 
the art was divine ; sinners were saved, and God 
was glorified. Later, a dead formality crept in 
and laid its icy finger on the lips of many. It 
seemed that sacred song was to be " cribbed, cabined, 
and confined " to the favored few who sung by note, 
and styled themselves "the choir." Thank God 
for a Bliss, a Sankey, a Phillips, a Mcintosh, and 
an army of Sunday-school singers that have come 
to the rescue. We are not opposing choirs ; if need- 
ful organize them, but beware of such as refuse to 
say, "Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the 
people praise thee." Train the children of the 
Church to honor the Master in the service of song. 



398 Incidentals. 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE USE OF ILLUSTEATIONS. 

Illumination. — What light, natural and arti- 
ficial, is to the material world so are illustrations in 
the world of thought. As well undertake to com- 
pute the value of the one as the other. The ques- 
tion is not whether we shall choose to employ illus- 
trations in our teaching, but whether we can teach 
at all without them. If such a thing is possible, 
the wisest men seem most ignorant of the fact. 
The most successful teachers are, and have ever 
been, masters in this art of illustration — of making 
truth clear by illumination; causing it to appear, 
to arrest attention, attract the mind, and impress 
the heart. It is one thing to assert the existence 
of truth in the lesson; it is quite another and 
nobler office to throw light upon that truth in 
such a way as to show where it is, what it is, and 
why it is. Let those teachers who with some show 
of reason insist that they are " doing no good " con- 
sider whether they are not guilty of neglecting 
this essential to success. If so, the case is clear; 
without amendment the self- drawn indictment 
stands. Illustrations may be derived from sources 
innumerable; their range of application is practi- 
cally infinite; their usefulness is immeasurable. 

Oral illustrations are word-pictures appeal- 



The Use of Illustrations. 399 



ing to the imagination — the mind's eye. "This 
faculty," says a very successful minister, " is second 
to no other in the human mind in understanding 
God's word." As the Rev. Dr. Duryea observes, 
" The Bible is not a system of theology ; still less 
is it a creed ; but it is a succession of vivid pictures 
— a true history of living, thinking human beings, 
and of God's dealings with them. Some have said 
that Sunday-school teachers should not teach geog- 
raphy, history, manners and customs, but only the 
gospel. Without these things, there is no gospel. 
It is impossible to understand God's dealings with 
any man in the Bible without knowing all about 
that man's manner of life and surroundings." 

Bible pictures are for the most part what 
might be termed bold, free-hand sketches, colorless 
outlines, often without perspective. The living 
teacher is left to supply these details ; but he is 
not at liberty to draw upon his imagination for the 
facts. Most of these he will find in the Bible itself; 
for the rest he must read what is furnished by those 
who have made the study of Bible lands and peo- 
ples a specialty. Being familiar with the topogra- 
phy of the country, the styles of architecture which 
prevailed, the costumes worn, modes of life, public 
and private, and forms of government, he may fill 
up these sketches with such realities as belong to 
them. He is to complete the picture ; but he must 



400 Incidentals. 



not do it all himself. Call out all the scholars know, 
and use that. Make them feel all the while that 
they are helping you. Eemember the outlines are 
from the hand of inspiration ; do not attempt to 
improve upon them by any change in the drawing. 
A Study— by the Eev. H. C. Trumbull, editor 
of the Sunday School Times : " I well recall the time 
when I had far more reverence for than under- 
standing of the Bible. Scripture characters were 
to me not only mythical, but unintelligible. The 
difference between Genesis and Euroclydon was 
by no means clear to my mind. I did not know 
who Deuteronomy was, nor what was Jehoshaphat. 
The first dawn of clear day came in this way : My 
home was by the sea-side, where figures of sailor- 
life were familiar to all. One afternoon a good 
man came to our Sabbath-school gathering, and, 
entering the desk by request of the superintendent, 
commenced to tell a story. He described a sea- 
shore scene, with a vessel in the offing weighing 
anchor and loosing sail for a voyage. Vividly in 
word-painting he showed a boat putting off from 
the dock, bringing at the last moment a passenger 
for the trip, his clambering on to the deck, the 
start of the vessel, its progress, a gathering storm, 
danger on the deep, the fright of the passengers 
and crew, a consultation, and the confession of the 
late-coming passenger that he was a fugitive pur- 



The Use of Illustrations. 401 



sued of God for his sin, hence the storm and the peril 
to all. O how well I remember the new light that 
burst into my mind when I then recognized the 
hitherto unreal story of Jonah as a living verity! 
I felt as did the boy who at last saw La Fayette 
through the carriage-window, and called out in 
amazement, 'Why, he's only a man!' 'Jonah' 
had been Jonah to me until that hour. Now he 
was a man. ' Joppa' had been Joppa. Now it was 
a sea-port town. My little brain was almost be- 
wildered by the discovery that the Bible had some- 
thing in it that I could understand ; but the veil 
of mystery that had enwrapped it until then went 
overboard with Jonah when that Sunday-school 
speaker had him thrown into the sea in the story. 
The entrance of God's words gave me light just as 
soon as those words were so stated that they could 
enter my child-mind." 

Moral : " Take the measure of children, if you 
would fit the garment of truth to them." 

By Comparison. — Facts and incidents out- 
side the Bible are to be employed as suggested on 
page 272. Draw similitudes from the history of 
modern times ; from every-day life. Use the word 
"like" freely, as Jesus did. Propose much in 
teaching by supposing much, and having the class 
to develop the parallelism or dissimilarity by 
comparison. Study Guthrie and others who in 



402 Incidentals. 



print or speech are apt to teach after this fash- 
ion.* 

Object Teaching. — Old John Bunyan sat at 
the feet of the great Master, and, tinker though he 
was, became an artist in word-picturing, whom the 
Christian world delights to honor. If we would 
succeed with our scholars, we must, as he quaintly 
advises, " come to the mind and soul through eye- 
gate as well as through ear-gate." Religious teach- 
ing by the use of material objects is as old as the 
history of religion itself. The tree of life in the 
garden of Eden; Abel's sacrifice; Noah's altar; 
the bow of promise ; the burning bush ; the pillar 
of cloud; the quaking mount, wrapped in fire and 
smoke; the tables of stone; the brazen serpent; 
the tabernacle and its furniture; the temple and 
its imposing rites — were they not all types of things 
spiritual, invisible? By the One greater than the 
temple the propriety of such illustrations has been 
established for all time to come. He taxed the 
whole realm of nature in support of his doctrine. 
A few examples must suffice: Wind and cloud; 

*By awakening and gratifying the imagination, the truth 
finds its way more readily to the heart, and makes a deeper 
impression on the memory. The story, like a float, keeps 
it from sinking; like a nail, fastens it to the mind; like 
the feathers of an arrow, makes it strike; and like the 
barb, makes it stick. — Guthrie. 



The Use of Illustrations. 4Q3 



stars and sparrows ; the lily and the lightning ; 
soil, seed, and sower; reed, pearl, mustard, sheep, 
wolves, serpents, doves, vine, grapes, figs, and 
thistles ; bottles, bread, cloth, candlestick, leaven ; 
gate, tower, tombs; children, "a certain man/' 
tribute - money, markets, journeyings, weddings; 
light and darkness ; life and death. Baptism, the 
bread and wine, the consecrated cross itself — what 
are these but symbols of redemption through the 
blood of Him who was God manifest in the flesh ? 

What is religious object teaching? Rev. 
W. F. Crafts furnishes this answer: "In the day- 
school an object is presented to the eye — a leaf, a 
flower, a mineral, a fossil, or a bone — to be studied 
for its own sake, and the lesson is perfect only when 
every quality and attribute of the object is known. 
In the Sunday-school, on the other hand, the object, 
although it may be any of those mentioned above, 
is studied as a symbol, a suggestion, a picture of 
some thought or idea far above itself, and the 
lesson is perfect when the attention is secured by 
the object, and the one or two qualities that may 
illustrate the thought which is being presented are 
understood." 

Let teachers who have trouble with their classes 
try the object method; or, as a shrewd business 
friend is wont to say, "something tangible." Let 
nature speak and the class repdy. "It is the 



404 Incidentals. 



thought of God in the object that stimulates the 
child's thought." 

Pictural Teaching. — Pictures are employed 
as substitutes for the objects they represent — form 
and color expressing matter, modes of existence, 
action and relation. 

Maps furnish the mind, through the eye, with 
facts which words cannot adequately represent. 
The folly of attempting the study of geography 
without these aids is admitted. The ignorance 
which prevails in regard to the geography of the 
Bible, even among earnest Bible-readers, is the re- 
sult of this folly. Every Sunday-school should 
make strenuous effort to provide itself with a series 
of maps — keeping in full view of the classes during 
recitation one covering the ground on which the 
lesson is located. In addition to this, it is well for 
each teacher to have at hand a smaller map for 
critical use in the class. A delightful and instruct- 
ive exercise may be furnished by organizing the 
school iuto an excursion party for making tours of 
observation in the Holy Land and Asia Minor; 
from Joppa to Jerusalem ; in and around the holy 
city ; the Dead Sea ; up the Jordan ; about the Sea 
of Galilee ; up to Mt. Lebanon ; through Phenicia, 
Galilee, Samaria ; across to Cyprus ; through Asia 
Minor and Macedonia, taking in the cities most 
prominently mentioned in the Scripture. This 



Tne Use of Illustrations. 405 



plan may be indefinitely extended in its applica- 
tion to Old Testament history. The conductor, or 
lecturer, should call out the principal events con- 
nected with each place visited, adding such other 
information and explanation as may be desirable. 
Many schools have ample time in the absence of 
other religious service for such an enterprise. If 
need be, call in the school-master, or "professor," 
and put it on foot. Why well-to-do schools are 
content to live without having a map, and knowing 
what may be so easily learned from it, is another 
mystery. If you do n't believe your school needs 
such a course of study, have your teachers and 
older pupils to draw from memory maps of Pales- 
tine, and hand them in. That will probably satisfy 
you to the contrary. 

Pictures of Scripture subjects abound on every 
hand : in Bibles and related text-books ; in religious 
papers and magazines; on parlor walls and reward 
cards. It is really wonderful that so few teachers 
seem to know what they are good for. Why not 
take them to the school-room and show the children 
what you mean by many things you tell them, and 
which you can never by any other method bring 
them to understand? We have seen in dreary 
school-rooms splendidly illustrated Bibles that no 
teacher ever thought of using before the class. 
Some wide-awake teachers make picture scrap- 



406 Incidentals. 



books, utilizing for this purpose cuts found in 
illustrated religious periodicals, buying cheap 
chromos, Nelson's reward cards, etc. — not only 
referring to them in the class, but inviting pupils 
to tea, and making the evening a delightful occa- 
sion by exhibiting and explaining the pictures. 
Large colored cuts illustrating the current lessons 
may now be had at a very low rate, and are a most 
valuable aid, particularly in teaching the infant 
class. 

The slate is coming into favor in Sunday-school 
class-w T ork. It is used by the teacher in making 
maps, diagrams, and sketches to illustrate the 
lesson. The cheap pencil tablets of printing-paper 
are better. Pupils should be encouraged to mako 
use of them for copying outlines, recording points 
in the lesson, etc. 



The Blackboard. 407 



CHAPTER VIII. 
THE BLACKBOAKD. 

" Chalk talks" carry information to the 
mind, and make appeals to the understanding, 
through one of the two principal avenues by which 
we obtain knowledge of the outside world. "Eye- 
gate is well located, wide, and much used. Whole 
caravans of knowledge pass through it daily." 
The blackboard is employed in every department 
of secular education, and in schools of every grade 
— from "Gravelly Ridge" to the Vanderbilt, "in 
the scientific lecture-hall, in the court-room, and 
wherever an effort is made to give vivid, com- 
prehensive, and related ideas." It is not merely 
" a good thing ; " it is invaluable. A Sunday-school 
without a blackboard is just as deficient in an es- 
sential appliance for conveying instruction as a 
secular school would be. Truth-teachers cannot 
afford to be without so valuable an auxiliary. 
Preachers will adopt it by and by — when they be- 
come willing to confess that there are some things 
which the people want very much to know, and 
which cannot be demonstrated so easily or success- 
fully in any other way — w 7 hen teaching things rises 
superior to talking about them. They will use it 
in common w T ith other sensible teachers — when it is 
needed, and not at other times. 



408 Incidentals. 



Principal Uses of the Blackboard. — 

To arrest attention, aid the memory, and thus ex- 
plain, concentrate, enforce, and clinch the truth. 
Where the school is limited to one room, there is 
little opportunity for any but the superintendent 
to use the board. Where separate class-rooms are 
provided, each should be furnished with a board, 
as it is with books and benches. 

How to Make the Board.— Permanent. 
— Apply liquid slating to the wall, at proper 
height, tw r o and a half to three feet wide, on 
smooth -coat plastering. The preparation men- 
tioned may be obtained from dealers in Sunday- 
school supplies, w r ith accompanying directions for 
use. It is in every way preferable to ordinary 
paint. 

Movable. — Make board of clear poplar, half 
inch thick; -frame like a slate to prevent warping; 
use slating composition just recommended. It will 
be found most convenient to pivot the board above 
and below in frame-work, so that both sides may be 
used at pleasure. 

Portable. — The best thing is blackboard cloth, 
or lapilinum, coated on one or both sides as de- 
sired. It can be stretched smooth and tacked to 
the board, or mounted like a map; can be sus- 
pended in any position against the wall or board, 
taken down in an instant, rolled up, carried home, 



The Blackboard. 409 



used in practice and design for next Sunday 
worked out during the week. As to dimensions, 
be governed by size of room ; thirty by forty-six 
inches is the average. One of these boards carried 
thousand of miles by almost every kind of trans- 
portation, and used freely in Sunday-school work 
for three years, is good yet. With what point and 
force this "brother in black " presented truths "not 
lawful (or possible) for a man to utter," many will 
remember; and for a good reason — they cannot 
forget it if they would. 

Other Materials. — An eraser — a piece of 
Brussels carpet is good ; a ruler, or " straight-edge," 
a pointer, a lot of crayons. For white work alone 
common school crayons will do. The use of colored 
crayons adds greatly to variety and effect ; those 
of ordinary shape in different shades cost about 
twenty cents a dozen. Square ones, white and 
colored, assorted sizes, are most convenient for 
large lettering — every part of the letter being 
nearly or quite finished at a single stroke. If you 
would not develop artistic propensities where you 
ought not, keep your chalks out of reach of the 
average small boy. 

Printed blackboard sheets are good sub- 
stitutes for the original article. They stand related 
to it as the written discourse to extemporaneous 
delivery; as printed questions to living ones; as 



410 Incidentals. 



borrowed plumage to that which is natural. The 
thought originates with some one else ; only a mind 
of exactly the same caste can develop it. Like a 
borrowed garment, it may fit ; the chances are that 
it will not. These hints will enable those who have 
tried the substitute, and voted the whole thing a 
bore, to see where they missed it. Of those who, 
on the other hand, have been successful with this 
method, we confidently affirm ability to use a crayon 
to better advantage. The prints themselves have 
a suggestive value, and, where artistic skill is to be 
cultivated, may be used for a time in connection 
with the genuine blackboard exercises. If artistic 
effect is demanded, it is proof positive that God- 
given talent for this art is not wanting. To de- 
velop and utilize it you must take to chalk. 

Who Should Use the Board?— In the 
class-room, the teacher ; before the school, the super- 
intendent. "But you surely don't mean me." 
Yes, you. "O nonsense! I can't." Did you ever 
try? "Never." Then you don't know whether 
you can or not. Get a board and go to work; 
practice on the sly if you are a very timid person. 
" Can't " kills many a valuable opportunity, but 
never discharges an obligation ; working at it does. 
Some people fail to try for fear they will succeed, 
and a repetition of the duty be required of them; 
but the most for fear they will fail. " I was afraid " 



The Blackboard. 411 



will not satisfy the Master. Try; try again, and 
keep on trying until the matter is thoroughly tested. 
You will doubtless make a poor, unsatisfactory 
" stagger " at first. What of that ? Walking comes 
after crawling ; final success always follows failure. 
One must learn to use the blackboard by using it, 
as one learns to do any thing else by doing it. If 
you are afraid your pride may get a fall, the sooner 
that event occurs the better ; a blackboard will be 
a means of grace to you if it hastens that catas- 
trophe. Fear of criticism clips the wings of faith, 
and fetters honest endeavor in the desk and pulpit 
as elsewhere. By God's grace, get above it, brother ; 
you will not be worth much until you do. If you 
think you ought to have a blackboard in your 
school, get one. The real danger will come when 
you succeed with it — as you are likely to do. Pride 
of achievement will be spurred by compliment in 
the direction of notoriety. The only safe way is 
to make the board express so much of Christ that 
the attention of all will be wholly directed to him. 
Anybody fit to be an officer or teacher can use 
a blackboard for the transmission of ideas. Words 
are but symbols of thought, and thought-signs are 
not bound to letters. A child expresses ideas before 
words, and talks before it reads ; a deaf-mute speaks 
by signs. Actions speak louder than words often- 
times; so do chalk -marks on a blackboard. If 



412 



Incidentals. 



important truths may be more deeply imbedded in 
mind and heart by chalk-marks than by spoken 
words, then it is our duty to use chalk. Our busi- 
ness is to teach truth as truth by the best methods 
known to us. Not to do so is a sin. Here are two 
important propositions of truth we wish to impress 
quickly and permanently upon the child-mind; 
saying, "Two and two make four," or "Jesus died 
to save sinners," will never accomplish our purpose 
as will these simple statements in black and white : 



1 1 
1 
1 

1 2 
1 2 


1 1 

2+2=4 




Died 


STTS 

to Save 


4 4 






Sizu 


lers. 



We hold the principles of the gospel to be as 
true as those of mathematics, the blackboard to be 
as legitimate an exponent of the one as the other, 
and the religious teacher to have as much right to 
use it as the secular teacher has. 

How to Use the Board. — Hints in this direc- 
tion must of necessity be brief. For minute details 
the reader is referred to special treatises on the 
subject by Beard, Crafts, and others. We shall give 
leading examples of blackboard work, proceeding 



The Blackboard. 



413 



from the simplest to that which is more elaborate 
and difficult. 

1. Announcements of the order of exercises; 
of appointments for preaching, teachers' meeting, 
etc. ; of special occasions, thus : 



"PEARL GATHERERS" 
Meet at 3 o'clock 

I THIS AFTERNOON. 

iWednesday Evening after 
Prayer-meeting. 



REMEMBER 

Missionary Collection 
NEXT SUNDAY. 



2. Motto for the day ; usually the Golden Text, 
Title, Topic, central thought or "key-note" of the 
lesson, in large letters, greeting the eyes of all as 
they enter the room: "Thou God seest me;" 
" Sins forgiven ; " "Whosoever will;" "A life for a 
look;" "It is finished;" 



NOTHING 

BUT 

LEAVES. 




3. Topical — or analysis of the lesson ; like the 
preachers' heads of discourse ; used in review of the 
lesson; most effective when put upon the board 
item by item as developed by questioning the 
school, e.g.: Wise men — star seen, followed — 



414 



Incidentals. 



Christ found, worshiped; The command — promise 
— reward; Able to save — to the uttermost; The 
sinner's need, the Saviour's blood. 



WANDERING. 



REPENTING. 



RETURNING. 

Luke xv. 11-24. 



Midnight Wrestling. 

" I will not let thee go, ex- 
cept thou bless me." 

Morning Sunshine. 

Gen. xxxii. 24-32. 



4. Initial and syllable exercise. Important 
words beginning with a common letter or syllable 
are added one by one, as stated in answer to ques- 
tions : 



"P)LIND 
-RELIEVING PUDTQT 

.Jeholding Uiirvlol 



"According to your FA | TH ^ ^ ^ ^ „ 

Matt. ix. 27-31. 



BEHOLD THE 



TRULY THIS 

IMi 



MAN 



I GEE. 
NER OF HIS DEATH. 
SIONS HE IS PREPARING. 
WAS THE SON OP GOD. 
UEL. 



CrOID T^ITH XTS. 



5. Words and phrases used as common con- 
nectives : 



The Blackboard. 415 



™wm:. church 



Markxiii. 32-37. 





EENDEK 




C/ESAR 

GOD 


THE THINGS THAT ARE 


C/ESAR'S: 

GOD'S. 




Mark xii. 17. 



6. Contrasts. Of these the Scriptures afford 
numerous and striking examples : 



T H IE3 


WAGES OF SIN 1 


GIFT OF GOD 


ETEElTi^L 


DEATH. | 


XjI^E. 



IN TIME 


IN ETERNITY 


GOOD ^\. 


>^ COMFORTED 

^A p,rfat r:iii r 


EVIL ^^ \\^ TORMENTED 


' 



416 Incidentals. 



7. Acrostic. The initial letter of a series of 
words put in such order as to form another word, 
or sentence, bringing out the central idea. This 
exercise is peculiarly liable to abuse. 



WATCH YOUR 

W ORDS, 
A CTIONS, 
T HOUGHTS , 
C OMPANY , 
H EART. 



show iro-cr^ 

FAITH by your WORKS. 




Simple examples like the above have been profit- 
ably employed ; the parts underscored being erased 
when the idea of duty in each one has been suffi- 
ciently impressed ; the school in conclusion being 
required to recapitulate the points, which in the 
illustration of Christian growth are developed in 
this order: Go — go right — go right on — go right 
on working — Grow. 

8. Canceling and Erasing. These are among 
the very best exercises within the range of black- 
board work. From the statement upon the board 
strike out — at the right moment — such parts as 
will leave the central thought focalized upon the 
minds of the scholars. In this way the truth 
flashes into rebellious hearts on the wings of light; 
in swiftness of passage and graciousness of effect 
it is really electrical; there is no dodging it. 



The Blackboard. 417 



IN THE BEGINNING 

GOD 

CREATED 
The HEAVEN and the EARTH. 



BELIEVE ON THE 

Lord Jesus Christ, 

AND THOU SHALT BE 
SAVED. 



Erase number 1 in the following order : and the 
earth — the heaven — created — in the beginning; 
the remaining object of thought is God, the un- 
created Creator. In number 2 insert at the top, 
Do I, and interrogation-point after Christ ; erase 
words, And thou shalt be, and put instead, Am I, 
with interrogation after saved. Changes of this 
character suggest themselves. 

An Apology. — In all of the preceding designs 
the line of beauty is wanting ; the words all appear- 
ing in stiff, straight parallels. For this misrepre- 
sentation of "blackboarding" the incorrigible type 
are to blame. A free-hand crayon design knows no 
such limit of curve, color, and relation. 

Outline drawings add greatly to the effect- 
iveness of blackboard work. The rude map or 
diagram sketched before the eyes of the school 
arrests and holds attention as nothing else can. It 
is something new — created especially for the occa- 
sion. Business men, farmers, mechanics — in fact, 
nearly everybody — find it frequently necessary in 
conversation to make a draft of an idea on the 



418 Incidentals. 



ground with a stick, or otherwise in black and 
white, in order that those for whom it is intended 
may see it and understand it. Now, that is precisely 
what the superintendent and teacher need to do in 
the Sunday-school; to put upon the blackboard 
things that cannot be so w T ell apprehended and 
comprehended — if at all — without such presenta- 
tion. Talk out and chalk out at the same time, 
and your chances for getting at the understanding 
are doubled ; two avenues, eye-gate and ear-gate, 
are open — wide open, if the gate-keepers be taken 
somewhat by surprise. 

For example : Suppose the subject of the lesson 
is, "On the way to Emmaus." Draw a line to 
represent the road ; inquire for and locate Jerusa- 
lem and Emmaus; get the distance; who were 
traveling along this road? [make two marks] 
what were they talking about? who joined them? 
[add another mark] call out the conversation ; the 
arrival at E. ; the hospitable invitation, "Abide 
with us ; " the blessing at supper ; the recognition ; 
the disappearance of Jesus; "hearts strangely 
warmed;" the immediate return to J., 7} miles, to 
carry the gospel of the resurrection. 

Jo ID oE 

7^ miles north-west. 

We insist upon it, anybody who knows enough to 



The Blackboard. 



419 



Entrance 
on the East 



Altar of 
JZur-nzofferi ng 



\ QLaver 



teach can use a blackboard in this way ; nobody can 

teach that leSSOn without Curtains 

aboard as they can with it. 

Take another subject i 
of frequent reference — !' 
the Tabernacle — how 
many who have attend- 
ed Church and Sunday- 
school for years are yet k 
in blissful ignorance of " 
its form, furniture, and ll 
service ; all for the w 7 ant 
of a simple draft like 
this, which any teacher A 
ought to be able to put u 
upon the blackboard and 
explain satisfactorily in 
side of ten minutes. 



Altar of 
Incense 

Of O 

of 



PLAN OF 

THE TABERNACLE 



Lettering. — Whether the style be script or 
type, the letters should be large enough and bright 
enough to be easily read by those farthest from the 
board. The best form is the " block letter," spec- 
imens of which are here given: 

ABCDEFCHIJKLMN 
OPQRSTUVWXYZ 

With a square crayon — or one broken and used 



420 



Incidentals. 



sidewise — each of these letters can be executed at 
one or two strokes. The following diagram will 
be of assistance to beginners. Draw guiding lines 



mTTEVEfi^ WORK THAT HE BEGAfrL^ 



ur nmrrr 



^li 



ikiz = !ii^5-i 



gg^g> 



parallel ; for curves, fasten crayon to the end of a 
string, hold string against the board with the left- 
hand and use crayon with the right. It will be 
seen that parallels at top and bottom of the words 
"With his heart" indicate the body the letter is to 
have; size gives emphasis; put most important 
words in largest letters. Count the letters to go 
into each line ; begin at the middle of the board, 
adding letters right and left to insure proper spac- 
ing. Eemember to shade all the letters in a line 
on the same side. When the work is finished rub 
out guiding lines. For various styles of letters 
study the marking on goods-boxes, display type in 
newspaper advertisements, posters, and "show-bills/' 
See how the sign-painter does it, in particular the 
evil genius who ornaments fences and rocks in the 
interest of King Cure-all's wonderful remedies. 



The Blackboard. 421 



Picture-making is, by many, judged essen- 
tial to successful blackboard work, and that there- 
fore only those who have a special talent in this 
line should attempt to teach by this means. This 
error, which has been sufficiently exposed in pre- 
ceding remarks, has resulted in two evils; it has 
kept the board out of some schools, and brought it 
into disfavor in others, in consequence of its abuse 
in the hands of ambitious experimenters and vain- 
glorious experts. A picture is useful to the extent 
that it impresses more deeply than language can 
useful thoughts lying back of it, and of which it is 
the representative. If it is to be considered for its 
own sake alone — as a work of art — then the school 
is the worse off for having it before them. Under 
like conditions, the same is true of a sermon — so 
called. Some people cannot make pictures; the 
Lord never intended that they should; let such 
confine themselves to illustrations of a different 
character. Others can ; and when a lesson may be 
better illustrated in this way, they ought to do it 
God makes no mistakes in the bestowment of per- 
sonal gifts, however we may mistake in the use of. 
them. 

The reason why we have so few skillful black- 
board artists is simply this: because the much- 
talked-of idea that every gift of God is to be used 
to his glory has not had the much-needed practical 



422 Incidentals. 



application in the Church of God that it ought to 
have had. Christian people who make pictures fit 
for the port-folio and the parlor are competent for 
like service in the Church. Why do n't they do it? 
Mainly because such service is not expected of 
them ; they are not asked to do it. The idea of 
glorifying God and blessing the world by picture- 
making would be quite absurd in the minds of not 
a few good people; to venture upon a practical 
expressiou of it in some places would be accounted 
among presumptuous sins from which one ought to 
pray to be saved. There are folks who in buying 
and selling, in grumbling at Providence, and fall- 
ing out with their neighbors, are quite as apt as 
the rest of mankind, but who are so exceedingly 
jealous for a certain "old way," with its well-nigh 
obliterated landmarks, that they would rather die 
in the old ruts than accept blackboard teaching 
as a legal coefficient of pulpit-teaching without a 
positive "Thus saith the Lord." Those who will 
take the trouble to refer to Mark xiii. 34 will find 
it in these words from the Master's lips : " To every 
man his work." * 

Who knows but that picture-making may be 
the mission of some obscure boy or girl in your 
school ? What a God-send it would be to the 

*A drunken monarch, a palace wall, a mysterious hand, 
"Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin." 



The Blackboard, 423 



Church, to themselves, and to the world, if all our 
"talented" young people were taught to employ 
their peculiar gifts in God's service ! If you have 
artistic talent in your school, it is your duty, as a 
servant to whom the Son of man in his absence has 
given authority in his house, to develop it in this 
direction. If you cannot draw, get some one else 
to make such drawings for you as will assist you in 
enforcing the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. What 
if the only available person be a dissipated young 
fellow, or a giddy creature of the other sex ? Our 
unhesitating reply is this : Use that person if you 
can ; claim your Lord's talent for your Lord ; the 
devil has no right to it; if need require, wrestle 
with him on your knees for its possession, remem- 
bering that Christ died for that boy or girl as he 
died for you. Ask God for that person. 

Drawing and Coloring. — Study simplicity 
of design; minute details have no place in work 
of this character. A bold, free-hand stroke of the 
crayon is the only correct thing in blackboard 
practice, either in lettering or in picturing. A 
pleasing variety is obtained by drawing the body 
of a letter in one color, and shading or outlining 
it in another; or, where the letters are in outline 
only, the left and upper sides may be put in yellow, 
for instance, and the right and lower sides in 
brown. Color may be used to give emphasis; thus 



424 Incidentals. 



the main part of the sentence being in white with 
blue outline, or shade, the words to be emphasized 
may be put in red and yellow. Use the side of the 
crayon to get masses of color quickly, depth being 
determined by the pressure upon it. Blending, 
where necessary, is best done with the finger. 
Don't be afraid of soiling your hands; crayon- 
dust washes off easily. "Remember, once for all, 
that you are not making a drawing which is to be 
seen near by, but that your audience is some dis- 
tance away from the board, and that what looks 
rough to you will look quite well to them. Look 
at your work at a distance now and then while you 
are practicing, and you will easily find out how 
far it is necessary to go in finishing. Too much 
finish utterly spoils a blackboard drawing, and a 
picture that looks pretty to the person drawing it 
will look insipid, or will only be a confused mass, 
to the audience. It is better to err on the one side, 
and to have your picture a little too rough, and 
the effects in it a little too loud, for then the audi- 
ence will at least be able to see it."* 

One word of caution just here: Few persons 
should attempt representations of animate objects; 
only an artist, the human form; none, the person 
of our Lord. 

* Frank Beard. 



The Blackboard. 



425 



We give — as well as can be clone in this way — 
a simple illustration of picture work : 



The Revelations of the Cross. 



IPRAYER r^iiC^MOCKEEtl 


lii 




■■ri 


A 

Y 




- 


JUT 



■C " 


E 
D 


m 


BEEi ' "" lOSsi 


1 


o 
T 


'R& v"'" •'/§ 


IllfipSWIillWiiPiipi 


&hb^ 



(Sinner's extremity ; salvation near — within speaking dis- 
tance of Jesus; prayer of penitence; prompt reply, "This 
day," etc.; impenitent presumption ; ominous silence. 
Equal opportunities — diverse results ; "The kingdom of God 
is come nigh unto you;" "Now is the day of salvation;" 
"The one on his right-hand, the other on his left; " which 
is our representative? The fateful choice; "Come ye — 
Depart ye.") 

The spirit in which blackboard work is con- 
ducted determines its merit. "The plainest sort 
of a man, with the lesson in his head and heart, 
baptized with a spirit of self- forgetfulness, whose 
only aim is to impress God's truth on youthful 
hearts, will do more with his rudest ehalkings than 
the skillful blackboardist with his perfect dia- 
grams, but without his Christly spirit and aim." 



426 Incidentals. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE USE OF PRINTER'S INK. 

Weakly Unworldly.— " The children of 
this world are in their generation wiser than the 
children of light ; " they tell the people where they 
are, what they have, and what they want — they 
advertise. Only here and there is to be found a 
congregation stout-hearted enough to project re- 
ligious enterprises on strict business principles; 
less frequently one with experimental faith in 
printer's ink. Even this exceptional development 
of " worldliness," it must be admitted, is but a 
feeble imitation of that worldly sagacity which 
annually invests untold millions of dollars in 
multiplied millions of newspaper advertisements, 
chromos, circulars, dodgers, gutter-snipes, hand- 
bills, posters, and the nameless and numberless 
devices of like intent that are thrust into our 
homes, into our hands, under our very noses ; that 
bedizen fences, trees, stumps, rocks, and dead-walls, 
forcing upon the most obtuse a recognition of the 
fact that this is the golden age of advertising, dis- 
counted somewhat by the alloyage of impudence 
it carries. The world, having most thoroughly 
tested the matter, knows the efficiency of "the 
black missionary" in small affairs as the Church 
does not; puts a corresponding value upon it, and 



The Use of Printer's Ink. 427 



presses it into constant service as the Church does 
not. The many benefits that would accrue to the 
cause of Christ by a change of policy just here, 
on the part of organized bodies representing that 
cause before the world, are too obvious to need re- 
cital ; no reflecting mind can fail to perceive them. 

But our present purpose is only to bring out in 
a practical way a few of the methods by which 
printing-press helps are made available in the 
Sunday-school. The value of the examples pre- 
sented — like the phraseology — must be determined 
by local circumstances. 

General Notice. — To be printed upon card- 
board, framed, and placed in hotels and other 
places of public resort: 



You are cordially invited to attend 

s is k, tt i c E s 

AT 

MARKET STREET M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH 

(Corner of Market and Eighth Streets). 
Sunday-school at 9 ; Preaching at 10:30 o'clock A.M. 
Teachers' meeting at 4; Preaching at 7 o'clock p.m. 

EVEUT SABBATH. 

Wednesday evening Prayer-meeting 7 o'clock. 

SEATS PBBB. 

Ushers will be found at the door. 

L. M. Elder, Sitp't. W. W. Bays, Pastor. 



Special notice may be served by means of 
small cards of invitation, to be distributed by 



428 Incidentals. 



officers, teachers, and others appointed to this work. 
The foregoing form may be duplicated with the ad- 
dition of appropriate Scripture texts on the margin 
or back of card ; e. g. : " Where two or three are 
gathered together in my name, there am I in the 
midst of them." "Thy word is a lamp unto my 
feet, and a light unto my path." "Wherewithal 
shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking 
heed thereto according to thy word." "The way 
of transgressors is hard." 

Superintendent's Statement. — On ex- 
amination of the records the superintendent dis- 
covers the absence of several scholars for succes- 
sive Sundays; prompt attention may bring them 
back; blanks are here represented in Italics as 
filled up by him; the card is to be handed to the 
teacher addressed: 



TRINITY SUNDAY-SCHOOL, 


Miss Mary De Layne — 


December 3, 1882. 


I note as absent from your 


class : 


Arthur Maitlandy . . 
Augustus Rucellj . . 
William Walker, . . 


. . 3 Sundays. 

. . .2 Sundays. 

. . 2 Sundays. 


Please report next Sunday, on the back of this card, 
reason of absence, whether you have visited, and what 
you recommend to be done. R A J ACKS0N? Sup > L 



Card returned with the following: indorsement: 



The Use of Printer's Ink. 



429 



Have visited : Arthur Maitland, out of town. Gus. Rucell 
thinks he is too large to remain in my class. Change him. 
Will. Walker has no shoes. The school should give him a pair. 

Mary De Layne. 

Librarian's Statement. — For recovering 
books held in violation of library rules: 



LIBRARY, BROAD ST. SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
Class 13. Henry Myopy, Teacher. 



CHARGED TO 



WEEKS OUT. 



m 



Peter Philologus. 6. 

369. Thomas Scatterby. 2. 

Please have books returned next Sunday. Report 

lost volumes without delay. T „ T . r 

1. Holdfast, Librarian. 



Secretary's Statement. — To be furnished 
each teacher quarterly: 



Sund ay -school Sec 'y . 

Attendance of Class Teacher, 

for quarter ending 188 



Tardy, 
Absent, 



Teacher. 



Scholars. 



Average attendance past quarter, 
.per cent. 

Average attendance previous quar- 
ter, .-per cent. 



Remarks : 



...Sup't. 



430 



Incidentals. 



Treasurer's Statement.— To teachers ; ren- 
dered quarterly : 



Sunday-school 

Contributions of Class 




Treas. 


for quarter e 


nding.... 


188 


For current expenses, 
For missions, . . 
For other objects, 
Total by the class, 
Total by the school, 


PAST 
QUARTER. 




PREVIOUS 
QUARTER. 


$ 




$ 










r 
























Reiflfiarks : [As to the financial condition of the school ; its necessities, etc.] 





Circular Letters. — There can be no question 
as to the good influence exerted by the following 
communication sent out by "A Model Superin- 
tendent " to former members of his school in the 
hope of winning them back to its attendance : 

Sunday-school of the Second Congregational Church, 
New London, December 25, 1874. 

Dear Friend: — The records of the Secretary of our 
school show that you were formerly one of our scholars. 

We have now thirty-eight classes, with more than three 
hundred and fifty enrolled members, whose ages range 
from four to over seventy years. We meet (as we have 
done for the last seventeen years without the omission of a 
single session) at 9:15 on the morning of each Lord's-day. 



The Use of Printer's Ink, 431 



We should be very happy to welcome you back to our 
school, and I take the liberty of sending you this special 
invitation to renew your connection with us. 

May I not hope to see you in our pleasant chapel on 
Sunday, January 3, 1875? and will you not commence the 
new year by uniting with us again in the study of God's 
holy word? 

"Come thou with us, and we will do thee good." 
Truly yours, 

Henry P. Haven, Superintendent. 

At the same time this model worker made a 
similar appeal to members of the congregation 
who bad not been members of the Sunday-school, 
with this opening sentence: "As you are a member 
of our congregation, but are not on our Sunday- 
school record, I take the liberty of extending to 
you, on this anniversary day of the birth of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, a kind and cordial 
invitation to unite with our school, and join us on 
the morning of the Christian Sabbath in our wor- 
ship and Bible study." 

The failure of parents in the matter of home 
instruction of pupils needs no comment here. How 
this want of cooperation cripples the school, and 
is complained of among those who in the school 
try to save their scholars, is too well and too widely 
known. Can there be any doubt but that a letter 
running somewhat on this wise, and addressed to 
parents, would result in marked improvement: 



432 Incidentals. 



Sunday-school Department, Christ Church, 
November 5, 1882. 

Mr. Lovick P. Brown — Dear Brother: As superin- 
tendent of Christ Church Sunday-school, I wish to express 
for myself, and for the Christian workers with whom I am 
thus associated, the pleasure we have in extending to your 
children all the advantages which this department of our 
Church affords for acquiring a knowledge of God's word, and 
for developing those principles which lie at the foundation 
of Christian character, and of all our hopes for the future. 

Knowing how closely your own happiness is bound up 
in that of your children, we feel that no apology will be 
required for urging upon you, as we do upon all parents 
represented in the school, the imperative necessity of home 
cooperation. We regret to state that many parents — how- 
ever deeply they may feel upon the subject — manifest little 
or no interest in our work. They do not visit us to see 
what we are doing; they do not inquire of us concerning 
either the instruction of their children or the welfare of 
the school ; they do not encourage us with any tokens of 
appreciation; they do noj; encourage their children to 
punctual attendance ; they do not encourage them to study 
nor help them to an understanding of the lessons. The 
total indifference of some would seem to indicate that we 
alone are to be held to answer at the bar of God for the 
souls of their children ; others — and, sad to say, members 
of the Church too — even go so far as to antagonize our 
well-meant efforts by indulging in harsh criticisms. That 
this is mainly the result of thoughtlessness, we are per- 
suaded. Surely no conscientious parent can willfully and 
deliberately hinder the work of God for the salvation of 
his own children. The idea is monstrous; we do not in- 
dulge it. 



The Use of Printer's Ink. 433 



Vitally interested as you certainly are, and deeply in 
earnest as are our hearts in this matter, we cannot afford 
to withhold any thing of mutual sympathy and assistance. 
There is too much at stake; the final issue too fateful. 
We beseech you, as you value the present and eternal wel- 
fare of the children whom God has given you, and sends 
to us for a brief hour's instruction on the Sabbath, lose no 
time in adopting the "home readings" suggested by the 
lesson, and — if not already your habit — in studying with 
your children the lesson itself. Will you not do this for 
our sake, for your own, for the children's — for the sake of 
Him who so loved us as to die that we might live? 

Some parents are never seen at Sunday-school; some 
children are never seen at preaching. Do us the favor to 
come to see us, to join us if you can. Arrange for the 
children to come early to Sunday-school, and to stay with 
you during preaching. We make this last request with 
the more confidence since we are able to say that our pastor 
expresses his intention to have something in every morn- 
ing sermon specially prepared for and addressed to the 
children. 

Again bespeaking your hearty cooperation in the great 
work of winning the souls of the children and young peo- 
ple to Christ, and hoping that when the Master comes to 
make up his jewels your precious ones may be found in 
his crown of rejoicing, I am, in behalf of the officers 
and teachers of the school, 

Your friend and brother, 

Johx W. Humphrey, Superintendent. 

Periodicals.— Some enterprising congrega- 
tions sustain by subscription a monthly paper de- 
voted to all the interests of the Church. These 

28 



434 Incidentals. 



little sheets, usually edited by the pastor, cost 
almost nothing as compared with the benefits re- 
sulting, in which no department shares more largely 
than the Sunday-school. 

Certificates of membership, of distinction, and 
of dismission, etc., handsomely printed, may be 
obtained from dealers in Sunday-school supplies. 
We particularly recommend, for reasons sufficiently 
enforced, the use of the certificate of dismission. 

No sufficient excuse can be rendered for 
ignoring such helps; printing-presses are too nu- 
merous, and job-work too cheap, to admit of such 
exemption from duty. By several schools joining 
in their orders, the benefits of club rates may be 
secured. "Wisdom is the principal thing; there- 
fore get wisdom." 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 435 



CHAPTER X. 

COUNTRY SUNDAY-SCHOOLS— WINTEft- 

QUARTEES. 

Difficulties. — The first real difficulty the 
writer remembers to have experienced in Sunday- 
school work was in a log school-house in the coun- 
try in the woods. The annual reorganization was 
in progress ; two teachers were appointed, and each 
scholar was required to decide which class he 
would join. It was a trying time to at least one 
little " shaver ;" it was his first experience as a 
member. Since that time knowledge of this way 
has been accumulating through manifold oppor- 
tunities of labor and observation. Having been 
all along there, the trials and tribulations of coun- 
try Sunday-school life are admitted without argu- 
ment. They are neither few nor far between. 
With this preliminary statement, we claim the 
privilege of remarking that they are unduly exag- 
gerated in the popular judgment. As a conse- 
quence, two calamities are invited — slipshod work 
and suspended animation. 

Stand-point. — In dealing with a question of 
this sort there is much in stand-point. In the pres- 
ent instance no new position is assumed, no base- 
less theories advanced ; the ground occupied is 
familiar, the thoughts suggested practical. If, 



436 Incidentals. 



therefore, in the candid examination of it, opinions 
are expressed in sharp antagonism to established 
custom, it will be in view of the facts just recited. 

Equal Footing. — As regards the organiza- 
tion, management, and instruction of schools in 
town and country, no discrimination can possibly 
be made without injustice. On these points, it will 
be observed, no distinction has been made in pre- 
vious pages ; all that has been said being generally 
stated without reference to locality. Every com- 
petent witness in such matters stands ready to tes- 
tify to the fact that some of the best schools in the 
w T orld — judged by the infallible sign of good fruits 
— are outside of the towns. 

Sumiiier-quarters. — The difficulty here to 
be considered is that of keeping country Sunday- 
schools going the year round. In the larger cities 
the trouble is to carry the school through the sum- 
mer ; occasioned by the fact that so many officers, 
teachers, and scholars are "out of town" during 
the heated term ; and this not so much because 
some prefer to leave as that others need to go. 
The strain imposed upon every energy of the dili- 
gent minister and man of business makes relaxa- 
tion an absolute necessity — they must go or die. 
A religious paper just to hand announces the res- 
ignation of several eminently successful and be- 
loved pastors, North and South, of well-nigh na- 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 437 



tional reputation, of unquestioned devotion, and 
of ample salaries — forced to rest. There is also 
this extenuating circumstance in the case of city 
schools : there are always in the neighborhood 
other schools which are not only kept open, but 
w T here two sessions a day are held to provide for 
this very contingency. So, at last, Sunday-school 
privileges are not denied any who wish to attend, 
and it is customary for vacating pastors and su- 
perintendents to exhort remaining members to at- 
tend adjacent schools. We are not to be under- 
stood as apologizing for all the summer closures 
that occur in town ; some are without excuse, and 
those by whose action they stand suspended as- 
sume a vastly heavier burden of responsibility than 
would be imposed by their continuance in well- 
doing. 

Winter-quarters. — The deprivation in most 
country places by the closing of schools during the 
winter is, as will be readily perceived, much more 
serious. The scholars are taught to look upon the 
Church as an organization composed of good men 
and women who, above all others, have their spir- 
itual welfare at heart ; who, in and through the 
Sunday-school, are earnestly seeking to instruct 
them in the way of righteousness, to save their 
souls, to build them up in holiness. With the 
first frost — or, more accurately speaking, about 



438 Incidentals. 



the time the preacher in charge starts to Confer- 
ence — the school suspends; the children and young 
people are turned out of doors. By whom ? By 
the Church — Christian people — by their best friends; 
by those who have exhorted them upon the short- 
ness of life, the certainty of death, and the dread 
realities of judgment to come ; who have urged the 
importance of the Sunday-school as a means of 
grace unto knowledge of the truth and unto salva- 
tion from sin and its consequences. Now, these 
same friends, who expressed such anxiety for their 
soul's salvation, abandon them to their fate — leav- 
ing them to all the frightful contingencies of life 
and death so recently and so vividly portrayed. 
To whom shall they now go for the words of eter- 
nal life ? There is no other school within miles of 
them — with the possible exception of one between 
which and them a summer zeal, taking advantage 
of local and denominational prejudices, has dug an 
impassable gulf of unchristian jealousy. Few are 
blessed with faithful home instruction; for the 
many it is to be feared Sunday becomes above all 
other days a season of pernicious idleness, furnish- 
ing the amplest liberty and leisure for mischievous 
associations and doubtful pursuits. " The stone of 
Christian knowledge and influence, rolled a little 
way up the hill, rolls back again to the bottom." 
The loss experienced by officers and 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 439 



teachers is scarcely less deplorable. They lose 
the benefits of religious fellowship in a common 
cause ; lose habits of regular Bible study ; lose per- 
sonal interest in scholars ; lose influence over them ; 
lose a sense of responsibility for souls ; lose the 
favor of God by practical repudiation of the prin- 
ciples of self-sacrifice professed and taught — they 
backslide in religion for want of something else 
to do.* 

Re-organization is the very best thing that 
can follow suspension, but, be this remembered, it 
cancels no claims that have gone to protest ; atones 
for no spiritual damages that have accrued ; makes 
no reparation for opportunities that have been 
slighted. To presume that a school reorganized 
out of such raw material as may be brought to- 
gether six months after dissolution is as good as 
one constantly sustained is to set common sense at 
defiance. To insist, as some have the hardihood 
to do, that it is actually better is to commit intel- 
lectual suicide. When it is discovered that better 
fires are made by putting fires out, that trees grow 
better for being uprooted every fall, that cattle 
fatten on fasting through the winter, that less 
knowledge would have made Solomon a wiser man, 

* If the reader chooses to give this remark a wider range 
of application, no objection will be made. 



440 Incidentals. 



and that less religion would have made Bishop 
Marvin a better preacher, then so absurd a propo- 
sition may possibly find intelligent supporters. 

The Abomination of Desolation. — If 
the evil results of suspension were confined to 9 
few localities, the subject might be dismissed with 
an exhortation to the Church which is at Sardis, 
Blue Gum, or Smyrna. But the case is more des- 
perate. There are wide areas of country — whole 
counties, indeed — in which, outside of a town or 
two of the better class, desolation reigns supreme — 
not a single Sunday-school to be found for nearly 
half the year. This may seem incredible ; if seri- 
ous doubts are entertained, investigation is in order. 
A prominent minister, holding important official 
position in a leading Church, published a state- 
ment a few years ago that ought to have startled 
the inculpated denomination throughout all its 
borders. It passed unchallenged ; and we give it 
as our opinion that he fell, statistically, below the 
mark when he said, "We have reason to believe 
that one hundred and fifty thousand children, re- 
ported in our statistics, are denied the privilege of 
Sunday-school instruction during the entire win- 
ter!" 

A Calculation of Chances. — Preaching, 
regular appointment, twelve times a year, sermon 
of orthodox dimensions, length thirty minutes. 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 441 



equals six hours religious instruction from the pul- 
pit, addressed for the most part to adult hearers. 
Balance failures in attendance of preacher and 
hearer against extra appointments, and the total 
given will undergo no material change. Sundays 
come weekly, without failure, fifty-two times a year, 
bringing to the older people of the neighborhood, 
professing Christianity, fifty-two opportunities of 
giving the young people instruction in religion 
thirty minutes each Lord's-day, equals twenty-six 
hours. Balance non-attendance against extra op- 
portunities for prayer-meeting and such like ap- 
pointments, and the total will not be diminished. 
Possible school-service twenty hours in excess of 
Church-service. But combine these and there is 
afforded, in a regular way, only thirty-two hours 
of public instruction, based on the word of God, 
during the year. Close the school from three to 
six months out of the twelve, deduct the time 
wasted in threshing old straw after its rusty ma- 
chinery is put in motion, winnow the chaff, cheat, 
and cockle from the true grain, add this last to 
that furnished from the pulpit, and you may with- 
out difficulty calculate the chances of the young 
people for a religious education in the Laodicea 
neighborhood. 

Review of Excuses. — There is a wide- 
spread conviction that closing a school is a thing 



442 Incidentals. 



for which, in every instance, an apology must be 
made. From the many pleas in the line of de- 
fense we select for examination a few that belong 
to the class of " old reliables." 

Bad House. — That is the trouble at Serenity. 
The old meeting-house is a bad one, and no mis- 
take ; it is a caution to every beholder, and a dis- 
grace to the community. It was raised, according 
to tradition, "just after the Indians were moved to 
the Nation." " It is a dear old place," they say, 
" hallowed by a thousand memories." However 
this may be, to a visiting brother it is plain that 
its dear old sway-backed roof leaks distressingly 
when it has a chance ; its dear old walls, gnawed 
by the tooth of time, its dear old unglazed win- 
dows and its dear old rickety door make its ven- 
tilation absolutely and freezingly perfect ; its dear 
old smoky fire-place mourns in cobwebs and ashes 
the time when wood got to be so scarce ; its dear 
old dusty benches are tricky to a degree that 
would be sinful if they were not devoid of natural 
understanding and spinality ; its dear old dirty 
floor — unswept, unscoured, and unknelt upon since 
the two-days' meeting — spreads its protecting boards 
over the complaining swine, whose soul-harrowing 
squeals on stormy nights perpetuate in childish 
minds the story that the place is haunted. Yes, 
indeed, it is a dear old place to that neighborhood ; 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 443 



it freezes out a Sunday-school year after year ; it 
freezes out the preacher and his congregation; it 
holds in its icy grip the religious activities of an 
entire community; it is a regular old refrigerator. 
Having been assured that " they would freeze to 
death in Sunday-school," the non-attendance of 
scholars at the preaching service is amply provided 
for. Having been there, this writer is impressed 
w T ith the importance to that people of religious ed- 
ucation ; but, "Sunday-school man" as he, is, he is 
not so very far gone from original intelligence as 
to risk his reputation and life in an attempt to run 
a school through the winter in that house. To ex- 
pose children to the risks they would incur would 
be an act of sheer barbarity. 

Whose House ? — When it is thought neces- 
sary to rebuke some little impropriety of conduct 
occurring in school during the summer, scholars 
are solemnly reminded that " this " (old Serenity) 
" is God's house." From the use made of it when 
" it is thought best to close the school for the sea- 
son," the natural inference would be that it was 
God's fault that he had not provided a better build- 
ing for the use of the school. " God's house," in- 
deed ! He furnished the material, and good men 
who now lie in the adjacent grave-yard put up the 
house ; good honest work too, every lick of it. The 
men w T ho now by turns worship and freeze out at 



444 Incidentals. 



old Serenity are better able to repair the house 
than their fathers were to build it. There is board 
timber in the very trees whose shade has helped to 
rot the roof; nails, glass, and stoves are much 
cheaper than in "old times;" mud for daubing 
and water for scouring are as abundant as " when 
the Indians were sent to the Nation." All that is 
needed to save old Serenity from further ignoble 
service as an old excuse of a meeting-house, and to 
transform it into a comfortable and respectable 
church, is sanctified intelligence, consecrated shek- 
els, "after the shekel of the sanctuary," and dedi- 
cated muscle at the business end of an ax-handle. 
Brains, money, muscle, and building-material have 
been supplied. God is not responsible for any 
such a looking shanty as old Serenity. 

Recipes for Repairing Old Meeting- 
houses, and Hints on Church-building. 
— In addition to the homely hints just given, we 
quote, for the benefit of those whose tastes run in 
this direction, something from foreign sources.* 

1. "At Kohala the people, in their effort to pro- 
cure a new and more commodious house of wor- 
ship, had to bring the timber six or eight miles 
from the mountains. The wood was hard and 

*"A Heathen Nation Evangelized." By Eufus An- 
derson, D.D., LL.D. 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 445 



tough, axes were scarce, and there were few facili- 
ties for keeping them sharp. After the timber 
had been cut and hewn, from eighty to a hundred 
and fifty persons of both sexes laid hold of a long 
rope, made fast to one end of the timber, and a 
day was required to drag it up and down the pre- 
cipitous ravines, and through woods and brush, to 
the ground set apart for the building. Oxen could 
have done nothing, were they obtainable, because 
of the ravines." 

2. "At Kealakekua the house was built of stone, 
and every stone had to be carried by the Church- 
members, on their shoulders, an eighth of a mile. 
The lime had then to be obtained by diving for the 
coral in from ten to twenty feet of water. After a 
piece had been detached, a rope was made fast to 
it, and the mass was drawn up and put into a ca- 
noe. Thus the limestone was secured. To reduce 
it to lime a large amount of wood was needed, and 
every stick had to be brought one or two miles. 
This was done by the men. The women carried 
the lime a fourth of a mile in calabashes (a kind 
of gourd, hundreds of which would not hold a one- 
horse load), in all, many scores of barrels, and aft- 
erward as much sand, and about an equal quantity 
of water. The posts and beams were brought by 
the men from the mountains, each timber requir- 
ing the joint efforts of from forty to sixty men. 



446 Incidentals. 



Their labor was all gratuitous. To pay the masons 
and carpenters, each man subscribed according to 
his ability, varying from one to ten dollars, to be 
paid in such useful articles as they could com- 
mand." 

3. "At Kaneohe, when the old grass meeting- 
house was no longer in a condition to be occupied, 
the members of the Church, which contained not 
more than seventy-five able-bodied males, erected 
a stone edifice ninety-five feet in length by forty- 
two in width." 

4. "Among the means for building a stone meet- 
ing-house of considerable size on Molokai was a 
subscription by the women of more than two hun- 
dred dollars, which they earned by making mats, 
though each earned no more than eight cents a 
week. The contributions from the men were chiefly 
the result of transporting firewood in canoes across 
the channel, twenty miles wide, to Lahaina, car- 
rying seven sticks in a canoe, which sold for eight 
cents a stick. Timbers for the church had to be 
dragged ten miles by human strength." 

It may be of interest to the general reader to 
state that this work was done by Christianized Sand- 
wich Islanders. It will especially interest the sur- 
viving friends and relatives of the men who built 
old Serenity to know that just about the time the 
ground was " shrubbed " in that enterprise — April, 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 447 



1820 — the first missionaries of the cross landed 
among that people whose savage religious rites in- 
volved the sacrifice of human beings. 

Mud. — This is the sticking point with some ; 
and there are places w 7 here there is no getting 
around it ; it is a serious impediment even to those 
who live in sight of the building in which Sunday- 
school is held. But the circuit-rider, whose next 
preceding appointment is six miles away, is confi- 
dently expected to be on hand every time. Think 
of a mud-bound Methodist preacher ! His chances 
for quarterage would grow beautifully less if it 
should leak out that he " let a little thing like 
that keep him away." It w T ould probably be 
deemed just cause for dubbing him "Old Stick-in- 
the-mud." It occurs to us that farm-horses can 
stand it if his can. Why not hitch up the wagons, 
pick up the poor people along the road, and go on 
to Sunday-school in spite of the mud ? (By the 
way, is n't it strange the Serenity folks can't find 
mud enough to daub the chinks in their house?) 

It would be useless to waste words about high 
waters with impassable fords ; the only thing that 
can be done is to wait until they run down : so of 
dangerous ice and deep snow, where parental au- 
thority must be exercised — forbidding the children, 
for health's sake, from sliding, skating, and rab- 
bit-hunting — the only thing is to wait until it is 



448 Incidentals. 



safe ; then send them to learn something more of 
God's will and word. 

Cold. — A cold house is a poor excuse in this 
"wooden country." If sticks and chunks are 
scarcer than they used to be, there is yet plenty of 
good w r ood in sight, and plenty of teams to haul it. 
The house, if it is in keeping w T ith those the peo- 
ple live in, can be made comfortable enough ; 
there is no getting away from this proposition. 
But the intense cold experienced along the road is 
something to be thought of. The first thing usu- 
ally forgotten is that it is death to the mud ex- 
cuse ; freezes it up hard and tight — macadamizes 
the road with it, so to speak. The second is that 
folks up North must have a patent process by 
which " evergreen " Sunday-schools are protected 
from frost-bites. The third thing forgotten is to 
mention our rigorous winters as a reason why such 
folks should not come down and invest capital in 
the Sunny South. Frozen Sunday-schools do not 
appear in our list of attractions. The fourth item 
to be considered is ventilated in the following par- 
agraph : 

" The public school is always open in winter in 
country places, answering to some extent the ar- 
guments against winter Sunday-schools, by show- 
ing how entirely practicable it is for children to 
leave home in spite of mud, snow, and cold. But 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 449 



there is another phase of the public school which 
weighs heavily in favor of winter Sunday-schools. 
The intellectual effort of young people put forth in 
preparing for daily recitations, the casual contact 
with the great facts and problems of history and 
human experience which school habits occasion — 
these quicken intellects otherwise dormant, and 
render students especially susceptible to the truth. 
At no time in the year are young people in the 
country so intellectually impressible, at no season 
are their minds more clear and vigorous ; at no 
season are they more exposed to the temptations 
of skepticism than in winter. At the very time 
when all the consecrated culture we have in the 
Church should be responding through Sunday- 
school teaching to the intellectual awakening of 
our youth the school is closed, the teachers are 
silent, the Bible is unopened. The keen, inquir- 
ing, penetrating brain of the boy turns from the 
text-book of science and asks about the Maker of 
all these marvels in nature. He finds the Church- 
school closed. And why ? ' It 's winter.' " * 

Insufficient Clothing. — The average Sun- 
day weather is not colder than that of other days 
on which people manage to get about — pleasure- 
seeking, bread-winning, dollar-hunting, and loaf- 

■••"The Country Sunday-school." Vincent. 
29 



450 Incidentals. 



ing. If there are in the neighborhood poor fami- 
lies whose children are so thinly clad as to suffer, 
away from the chimney-corner, those who have the 
ability ought to at least give them something warm 
to wear to Sunday-school — must do so, indeed, or 
disgrace the professions of Christian charity they 
may make. The Bible is so plain upon this point 
that " the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not 
err " concerning it. As Adam Clarke puts it in 
straightforward English : " He who can and does 
not help the poor is a disgrace to Christianity; 
and he who does not lend his hand for the support 
of the cause of God is a worthless member of the 
Church of Christ." If all are so poor that no one 
is able to assist another, help from abroad should 
be solicited and extended. If the matter is — as 
happens with disgusting frequency — merely a ques- 
tion of " old clothes/' we heartily indorse this vig- 
orous language concerning it : " Of all the excuses 
for giving up Sunday-school in winter which an 
artful devil ever put into Christian lips, the cry of 
' old clothes ' is the silliest and shabbiest. No 
more tattered garment ever hung over an excuse- 
less sin." * It is the dilapidated advertisement of 
a threadbare religion. The best proof of the cor- 
rectness of these statements is to be found in a gen- 

*" Vincent. 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 451 



uine revival of true and undefiled religion in the 
hearts of God's people. When that occurs in a 
community, the people turn out in defiance of wind 
and weather. Who thinks about "old clothes" 
when sinners are trembling, penitents praying, 
prodigals returning, and saints rejoicing ? 

"They Won't Come."— Who? If chil- 
dren and young people are meant, we speak at 
once in their behalf and deny the charge. Give 
them something w 7 orth attending and they will 
come. This declaration will be sustained by ear- 
nest workers everywhere without a dissenting 
voice. Father Adam fell below himself when he 
said it was all his w T ife's fault. How far do people 
fall who attempt to dodge the responsibility of 
closing the school by packing it off upon the poor 
little children ? For shame ! 

" I BELIEVE I ? LL NOT GO TO-DAY. There Won't 

be anybody out, I reckon." You have looked 
upon that picture of poltroonery. We invite your 
attention to this : " Thirty years ago, in Philadel- 
phia, there came one Saturday night a terrific 
snow T -storm that filled the streets three or four feet 
deep with snow in banks. I went to church think- 
ing I would be alone. One little girl I found of 
sixteen years of age up to her hips in a snow T -bank, 
and utterly unable to get out. She had walked 
from Ninth street to above Broad, in Chestnut, and 



452 Incidentals. 



had left her shoes somewhere upon the road, she 
could not tell where. I found her at the door. 
Would you like to know her history ? She went 
into her work for Christ simply to do good. She 
would get three or four of her half-grown boys of 
the Sunday-school to wait upon her home, and she 
would take one of them to her house, and one after 
another used to come to me, and when I asked the 
question, ' What has led you to seek a Saviour's 
love ? ' they mentioned this sweet, charming name 
— till I traced twenty-five, at least, among my young 
people who were converted through her prayers 
and labors, and among them that beloved son of 
mine at whose bedside I sat for sixteen long hours 
wondering why God had taken him and left me 
behind." — Tyng. 

Protracted Meetings. — " They close a good 
many of our Sunday-schools/' said a speaker in a 
county convention. A certain young disciple r6se 
and withstood him to the face, because he thought 
he was to be blamed — and some time afterward, 
having come to a knowledge of the facts, made a 
public apology for so doing. There was truth in 
what that man said. The trouble in city schools 
is to hold the scholars against the many counter 
attractions by which they are constantly surround- 
ed. What it costs of both labor and money to 
hold them only those who have tried it know. The 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 453 



trouble in the country is to hold the officers and 
teachers. They want to go to preaching — and 
many of them, rather than forego the personal en- 
joyment of a meeting a few miles away, abandon 
their classes ; sometimes a school is sent into win- 
ter-quarters to get it out of the way of opportunity. 
To put the question fairly upon its merits: Is that 
sort of practice right ? Our reply is, emphatically, 
No. In asserting the contrary, one must shut his 
eyes against iron-bound facts. He must, for ex- 
ample, forget, 1. That such running about in win- 
try weather proves conclusively the ability to get 
to one's own Sunday-school, and that an equal 
amount of interest would take him there. 2. That 
by this very sign a revival is needed at home, and 
that the very means which Infinite Wisdom has de- 
vised for bringing it about is being neglected. 3. 
That protracted meetings do not begin on Sunday 
morning and close on Sunday night. 4. That if 
the revival-fire is brought home from a week-day 
attendance, it is more likely to catch among the 
" kindling-wood" of a Sunday-school than any- 
where else ; and that it is most likely to die out in 
the absence of such material. 5. That the results 
of a home revival are most surely extended and 
perpetuated by supplementing its special meetings 
of prayer, consecration, and preaching with a dili- 
gent study of the word of God, which is able to 



454 Incidentals. 



build up and sanctify believers. The two things 
which young converts most need are the sincere 
milk of the word and exercise in efforts to save 
others ; the conditions are met in the Sunday- 
school as nowhere else. 6. That the souls of young 
people are in fully as much danger in cold weather 
as in warm— and more, if they are turned out of 
Sunday-school. 7. But we cannot indulge the 
thoughts that crowd upon us. This discourse of 
the strange brother may not strike you exactly. 
The exhortation which is to follow certainly will. 
It is delivered by a marksman who never fails of 
breaking if he does not drive the center — which 
is his forte. 

" To attend to the children is to forego the 
preached word. You cannot be at both places. 
Which will you elect? The settlement of this 
question is life or death to hundreds of Sunday- 
schools. . . . . . . . 

" * But,' says one, ' is it not right to go to 
meeting ? Can it be wrong in me to like a good 
sermon? Perhaps the presiding elder preaches, 
and I seldom have the opportunity of hearing him. 
Where I hold my membership there is preaching 
only once or twice a month. Can a Christian man 
be out of place in the house of God ? I am not a 
mere spectator, but endeavor to take part in the 
spiritual worship. By increasing the congregation, 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 455 



I encourage the preacher, and help to build up the 
cause.' 

" The preacher has other work to do besides 
preaching to congregations, however crowded. He 
is under vows to instruct, to catechise the children, 
in every place, and he greatly needs your help in 
that work. He would meet a live congregation 
when he gets to the church where you hold your 
membership, and the best service you can render 
him and the cause, in that respect, is to gather and 
train the rising generation there in the Sunday- 
school. Duties may be absolute or relative, but 
they never conflict. The question first to be re- 
solved is this : Is the Sunday-School, with its godly 
aims and appliances, worth keeping up ? Is this 
instrumentality for the salvation of the young to 
be maintained among us ? Do not the signs of the 
times and the tokens of Providence point to and 
seal it as a means ordained of the Master for the 
furtherance of his kingdom ? Is it not indispensa- 
ble to the complete work of the Church ? 

" If you say Yes, then the conclusion is at hand. 
In serving here you are serving your generation 
according to the will of God. You are in the line 
of duty — the duty that lies next to you. 

" See how it works : You, a teacher, leave a 
class of a dozen or half a dozen children to get 
along as well as they can without a head. . . . 



456 Incidentals. 



If yours be an enlightened conscience, can it be at 
ease under that sermon ? Think not of these sheep, 
but of those lambs, without a shepherd and wan- 
dering around [in the dead of winter] without be- 
ing fed, at the very time you are sitting there ; 
think of the neglected duties behind you ; think 
of the good you might have done in sowing gospel 
seed in many impressible hearts while this preacher 
is scattering a few grains upon one stony-ground 
hearer ; think on these things, and if the sermon 
were preached by Apollos himself, it would be no 
blessing to you. You are out of place, O Sunday- 
school teacher ! and the eye of God searches you, 
and he says to you even in that sanctuary, * What 
doest thou here ? ' 

"After all, it may not be uncharitable to sus- 
pect that much of this going about, to the neglect 
of the Sunday-school, is not so much due to a 
craving for the preached gospel and the commun- 
ion of saints as to a craving for novelty, a gad- 
about propensity, an idle curiosity, or a seeking 
after social and selfish pleasures. The post of duty 
is where true joy is found. Let us bring the mat- 
ter home to those kind but slack teachers whose 
want of punctuality destroys the Sunday-school. 

" ' It is a good thing,' say you, ' to hear a ser- 
mon. The house of God is a safe place — one can- 1 
not go amiss who goes there. To enjoy the fellow- 



Country Sunday -schools— Winter-quarters. 457 



ship of brethren and sisters in the Lord in public 
worship is quite heavenly ; who can be blamed for 
seeking it ? ' So you reason, as you move along by 
foot, on horse-back, or carriage, to the great con- 
gregation. 

" Conscience whispers : ' But those children ; 
have you not promised to meet them this morning ? 
They are looking for you now.' 

" Inclination replies : ' Brother A is to 

preach to-day. I 'm sure it will be a good sermon, 
and I shall feel much happier on my way home. 
The superintendent can pick up somebody to teach 
my class to-day.' 

" But Rev. A has had a similar temptation 

that morning, and it ended the same way. He 
said to himself: '' True, I have an appointment to- 
day at Bethlehem ; but I hear other preaching 
seldom, and I am tired of hearing myself preach. 

I need a good gospel sermon. Brother B , a 

popular preacher, holds forth at Rehoboth, five or 
six miles west of me, and I will go there and hear 
him.' 

" In vain does a conscience of duty remonstrate 
at this remissness : 'The people will be there, some 
of them having come miles to meet you. Your 
promise is out. This treatment will disperse your 
congregation and ruin the cause.' 

" To all of which the recreant pastor replies : 



433 Incidentals. 



'Let them come again next time, and perhaps I 
shall be there to meet them. Let the stewards 
pick up some exhorter, or anybody they can find, 
to fill my place to-day. It is a good thing to hear 
a good sermon, and that I am going to do.' 

" Imagine yourself one of that disappointed con- 
gregation. Are we far from right in affirming that 
the Sunday-school teacher is as much bound to meet 
his class at the appointed time and place as the 
pastor is to meet his congregation ? To be out of 
the way of duty is not to be in the way of blessing." 
— Bishop McTyeire. 

"It is Our Custom." — This is actually given 
as a reason why the school should be closed in the 
fall. As a poor excuse it takes rank with the " old 
clothes " business, and is closely related to a host 
of others of notoriously unreliable character : " Ex- 
cuse me, parson, for swearing in your presence ; 
I'm so in the habit I forget myself sometimes." 
" Well, yes, I must confess that I 'm so in the habit 
of using the stuff that it would go mighty hard on 
me to quit it now. My constitution requires it." 
" That 's a fact, dominie ; it 's an outrageous thing, 
making preacher's pay-day once a quarter instead 
of weekly or monthly, like that of other people, 
but it's our custom, you know." 

" We are in the habit of closing our school every 
/all," said the superintendent; "it can't be kept 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 459 



up in the winter, and there 's no use in trying ; the 
people won't come/' "Will you for one agree to 
come as long as it lasts ? " inquired the preacher. 
"Well"— reluctantly— "yes, but it's no use." 
"All right," was the decided response ; " I '11 as- 
sume all responsibility of failure ; I propose to run 
the school through this winter, whether you come 
or not." And he did ; the school flourished ; the 
superintendent's predictions were falsified by the 
facts ; he did n't like it — and, at last account, was 
nursing a lively grudge against that preacher. If 
" our custom " is in conflict with Christ's kingdom, 
the sooner Ave have done with it the better. Break 
it up ; grind it to powder, as one of old did a 
golden calf, and let the waters of oblivion swallow 
it up. 

Recapitulation. — 1. If the house is "too 
bad," the superintendent should bend every energy 
to secure necessary improvements before the cold 
weather sets in ; this is his first duty. If, after 
faithful effort, he fails for want of cooperation, let 
the school be closed, and let the house be aban- 
doned, with a public protest against the necessity 
that is forced upon him ; put the responsibility 
where it properly belongs. But to deliberately 
kill a school to keep from repairing the house out- 
Herods Herod. 

2. When it is too muddy, too cold, too far, too 



460 Incidentals. 



any thing of that sort, the school mast be suspend- 
ed, and no person of common sense will insist upon 
keeping it up. When it is neither too muddy, too 
cold, too far, too any thing of the kind, for visiting, 
for going to work, to mill and to market, to socia- 
bles and to balls ; for keeping open shops and fac- 
tories, stores and bar-rooms — then, and in that 
case, closing the doors of a comfortable Sunday- 
school room is by every token a sin, for which 
somebody must answer in the great day of ac- 
counts, when the secrets of all hearts shall be 
brought to light. 

" Ought We to Close Our School?"— 
That question you, as officers and teachers, must 
decide ; neither the writer nor anyone else — with- 
out exact knowledge of your circumstances, and a 
willingness to do in a similar case what he, with 
all the facts before him, would advise — has a right 
to say you ought or ought not. This much we are 
warranted in saying : Most schools are closed be- 
cause we do not look upon them as God's schools ; 
because we prefer our ease to his service ; because 
we do not love God with soul, mind, and strength, 
nor our neighbor as ourselves ; because we are un- 
willing to deny ourselves, to take up our crosses, 
and to follow Christ for Christ's sake, and the sake 
of souls he died to save. On the other hand, many 
schools are closed because they must be ; that is a 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 461 



fact beyond controversy ; reasons need not be re- 
cited ; we accept them as sufficient. 

Hints on the Cultivation of Frost- 
proof Sunday-schools. — 1. You want a warm, 
clean, bright room. In order to get it, begin sub- 
soiling conscience in the early fall ; finish prelim- 
inary work in Indian summer. 

2. Elect officers, buy literature, organize for mut- 
ual, consecutive study of God's word fifty-two 
Sundays a year. The International Lesson Se- 
ries answers every objection that may be brought 
against this proposition, as it has already demol- 
ished the only excuse that ever furnished rational 
support to a defective and discarded system. It is 
God's last, best argument against blind guides, a 
closed Bible, and winter-quarters. To ignore it, is 
to deliberately choose darkness rather than light. 

3. When stress of weather forbids attendance on 
a particular Sunday, let it be understood that those 
who must stay at home are, one and all, to study 
the lesson at the school-hour, and, where it is pos- 
sible, recite to relatives or friends. A few inclem- 
ent days furnish no just ground for abandoning 
the school assembly the whole winter. We insist 
that the Sunday-school service, in this regard, be 
put upon equal footing with the preaching service. 
Establish a custom which will bring out the entire 
school w T hen the weather is such as to justify it. 



462 Incidentals. 



On rough days let those go who can and ought. 
That many — including little children — cannot go 
sometimes is no reason why the few who can should 
desert the post of duty. Keep up the organiza- 
tion. The extent of personal obligation is not to be 
measured by fluctuations in attendance of others. 
4. Some school -rooms must, of necessity, be 
abandoned; in which case — 

(1) Unite your forces with a neighboring school 
more fortunately situated — if there be such a one 
continuing. Its vitality is a good sign of a good 
school — despite its Union or denominational de- 
fects. It may, after all, be a better school than 
the frost-bitten neighbor it is asked to shelter. 
Trains on " wild-cat schedules " forfeit the right of 
way to through regulars, on time. 

(2) If opportunity of this kind is not afforded, 
and the school must be scattered, neighborhood 
schools may be formed at several points and held 
in Christian homes — the superintendent visiting in 
rotation each appointment, like a circuit-rider. 

(3) Where this is impossible, family groups may 
be formed under an agreement that lessons shall 
be recited regularly, at the school-hour, to parents 
or friends — every scholar and teacher being sup- 
plied with proper literature, distributed by mail 
or by hand. Some of our preachers — who know 
how to ride a circuit for several years without 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 463 



hurting it so as to require "a change" — have 
adopted this plan ; assuming the superintendency 
of these family schools, visiting and catechising all 
they can reach every round. They say it works 
like a charm; of course; it is bound to. "Will 
you diligently instruct the children in everyplace?" 
The gauntlet is before you, Sir Knight of the sad- 
dle-bags ; fight or fly. The man who, preaching 
courage to others in the great congregation, refuses 
such an opportunity to distinguish himself on this 
skirmish-line ought to be unhorsed and sent to a 
microscopic station in the rear, en route, with other 
camp-followers, to the shades of private life. 

5. As a last resort — if you "just can't do any 
better" — before disbanding the school, secure 
pledges from members that they will each read the 
lesson text and related " home readings " on Sun- 
day, at the school-hour, during vacation. 

Germs of Thought. — "Glad to see you so 
interested in the Sunday-school lesson, Willie; the 
Bible is a wonderful book, my boy ; study it dili- 
gently, store your mind with its precious truths, 
make it the man of your counsel ; of all other 
books in the world the Bible is the one that you 
ought to» study most carefully — (in the summer- 
time ")• 

"A. R. Daisy. — Let us hear from his presiding 
elder." "Nothing against him, bishop. I regard 



464 Incidentals. 



Brother Daisy as one of the most promising young 
men of the Conference, sir. I never saw a more 
devout, studious, energetic, and useful preacher 
than he is — (in the summer-time "). 

" What nice church-building is that down at the 
fork of the road, Brother Steward ? " " Why, that 's 
our church, sir, where you are to preach to-morrow. 
There'll be a big crow T d out to hear the new 
preacher; you must do your best/' "That's a 
queer sort of a notice you have posted on the door, 
is n't it?" " Notice? I'm at the first of it; what 
is it about?" " Well, it runs about like this, as I 
remember: 'The summer is past, the harvest is 
ended; there came a cold blast, and our school 
suspended.'" "Outrageous, sir, outrageous! some 
trifling boy at the bottom of it; there's a power of 
bad boys in this neighborhood. We 've got the 
best Sunday-school on the circuit, sir — (in the 
summer-time"). 

Epitaphic. — 

IN MEMORY OF 

PHILEMON FAIRWEATHER, 



He was an upright citizen, 

A faithful Christian., 

and 

A devoted Sunday-school man — 

(In the summer-time). 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 465 



Honor to whom Honor. — We cannot quit 
this subject without expressing our admiration of 
the country superintendent who, "through thick 
and thin," stands by the wheel and saves his school 
from going to wreck against the many icebergs 
that lie in its course. The moral heroism displayed 
in some obscure school-houses, with nothing to sus- 
tain it but the consciousness of God's approval 
and the desire of doing good, has far less of earthly 
and Churchly recognition than it deserves. "My 
little country Sunday-school still lives, people and 
pupils alike disappointed. Everybody thought its 
time had come ; but still it does n't die. You would 
be amused. Sometimes I have assistance; am often 
without. I am superintendent, teacher, secretary, 
librarian, leader of the singing, sexton, and general 
horse and mule hitcher." Of the Arkansas brother, 
whom that quotation represents with his " Barthol- 
omew school of from ten to twenty pupils," we 
venture to say he is the peer of any superintendent 
in the land. By this sign, the Saviour being judge, 
he is among the chiefest. There are others like 
him, whose misfortune it is to be compelled, by 
adverse conditions, to disband their schools on the 
approach of winter, to w 7 hom equal honor is due. 
And finally, no man, for whose good opinion w T e 
need to care, will hastily accuse us of lacking in 
appreciation of the good work done in summer 

30 



466 Incidentals. 



schools. Such a conclusion is forbidden, by the 
fact that on the very ground of their usefulness 
we base our strongest protest against their suspen- 
sion at any season of the year, or for any less 
reason than absolute necessity. No one, who has 
the cause of Christ deeply at heart, can ever be 
satisfied until — in the matter of steadfast continu- 
ance in well-doing — the Sunday-school service shall 
stand on equal footing with the preaching service; 
until lay work shall be acknowledged as imposing 
upon laymen obligations to the performance of 
which they are as much bound as are preachers 
with respect to pulpit work. Until H is discovered 
that the devil has gone into winter-quarters, the 
duty of Christian people, both lay and clerical, 
on the abstract question of hibernation, is plain ; 
it is as unwise, unsafe, unscriptural, and unchristian 
to close Sunday-schools as it would be to suspend 
preaching. Think of half of our preachers in 
winter-quarters ! 

The disadvantages under which the work 
must be prosecuted in most country schools is 
fully recognized, but that there are corresponding 
advantages will appear to anyone who will take 
the trouble to think on the subject. A hint of our 
meaning will be found among the many suggestions 
so aptly expressed in the following paragraph : 

"Accommodations and Apparatus. — Your 



Country Sunday-schools— Winter-quarters. 467 



Sunday -school room is not like St. John's, in 
Brooklyn ; Grace Mission, in New York ; [Bethany, 
in Philadelphia;] Benton street, in St. Louis; or 
the model school-room of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in Akron, Ohio. Yours is either a small 
church with no class-rooms, or a country school- 
house in the plainest style. You have no railroad 
seat to turn over, no cane-bottomed chairs to ar- 
range, no double doors to close, no fountain with 
its gold-fish and water-lilies, no frescoed walls, no 
stained-glass windows, no organ, no carpets. Yours 
is but a plain, soiled, dusty, web -hung country 
school-house, very rough, very inconvenient. We 
have often been in such rooms, and what glorious 
times we have had there! All this matter of 
apparatus and ornament is of minor importance. 
Of some importance it is, and so we suggest the 
appointment of a ' Committee on the Room.' How 
long — think you — will it take a bevy of smart 
country girls to convert a rude school-house into 
a rustic palace, fresher and fairer far than the 
majority of our city basements? Here are arms 
and fingers that fear neither soap nor scrubbing- 
brush. Here are taste and strength to make win- 
dows shine, exchange for folds of spider-webs 
festoons of evergreens ; suspend against bare walls 
wreaths and anchors, and crosses of laurel and 
hemlock ; and place on the superintendent's desk 



468 Incidentals. 



every Saturday evening bouquets of flowers, to fill 
the place with fragrance for the day of the Lord. 
Cleanliness and comeliness, even to the point of 
elegance, are possible even in our roughest and 
most rural school-houses. We do not say that these 
things are necessary. Far from it. We do say, 
for we do believe, that these things have a mission 
not to be despised ; and we congratulate the school 
whose superintendent and teachers have enterprise, 
taste, and skill enough to give the ministry of the 
beautiful a place in their Sunday-school work. 
As compared with Bible study, these adornments 
are but as the velvet case to the costly diamond 
cluster it contains." * 

A Final Request. — Please, Brother Superin- 
tendent, if there are good shade-trees at hand, 
do n't roast your people as this complainant has 
been roasted, many a time, in a little bake-oven of 
a house — in the summer-time. 

*"The Country Sunday-school." 



Architecture. 469 



CHAPTER XL 
AKCHITECTUEE. 

The Dominant Idea. — A good pastor prayed 
for rain. A little girl of his flock going on an 
errand shortly afterward carried an umbrella. 
Her faith ran ahead of occasion. The church 
that makes no provision for housing in a home-like 
way all her Sunday-school children indulges a faith 
that saunters along at a much greater and more 
discreditable distance in the rear. One that refuses 
when the promise is fulfilled, the demand urgent, 
and the means at hand, is utterly devoid of the 
" faith which worketh by love." If the quarters 
in which it is usually found may be taken as a 
criterion, the Sunday-school has no rights which 
the average building committee is bound to respect. 
From any thing that appears to the contrary, there 
is no escape from the belief that the aforesaid com- 
mittee, in planning, building, and furnishing the 
church-house, does every thing with an eye single 
to the comfort and convenience of the adult hearers 
who are expected to attend " the divine service." 
That — from a like consideration — the Sunday- 
school, as a matter of Christian courtesy, is per- 
mitted to occupy the premises, with the privilege 
of adjusting itself as best it may to such accommo- 
dations as it happens to find, we have no disposition 



470 Incidentals. 



to deny. The prevailing idea, architecturally ex- 
pressed, is about this : The Sunday-school lesson is 
to the sermon as a trivial circumstance keeping 
company with a big event. 

The extent to which this dominant notion is in- 
dulged at the expense of all right reason is seen 
most clearly in the domestic mission-field where 
the Sunday-school furnishes the master - key to 
success. A house is needed, the church is taxed 
with lawn-parties, oyster-suppers, fairs and festivals, 
the building committee finally reports its work 
complete, and there is presented to the Lord on 
dedication-day a house which, by every token, is a 
preaching-place and nothing more ; one big room 
furnished with benches of strict regulation height, 
and a pulpit, together with "a small indebtedness " 
fully covered by a cloud of indefinite promises to 
pay. 

Excessive Unity. — No family, however 
poor, is content with one room as a home. " Two 
rooms and a kitchen " there must be, according to 
the orthodox unit by which the essentials of home 
comfort and convenience are measured. Why 
should not the Lord's house — the church-home — 
have numerous apartments and conveniences as 
well as any other? Anyone who thinks must see 
the desirability of such an arrangement. To be 
sure, we can get along without these things; but if 



Architecture. 471 



we could do better with them, it is our duty to have 
them where it is possible. There can be no question 
that Sunday-school interests would be greatly ad- 
vanced by proper accommodations in the way of 
separate class-rooms appropriately furnished. We 
have but to compare the quiet of the sanctuary 
during preaching, and of the secular school-room 
during recitation, with the many adverse conditions 
in a crowded Sunday-school room in order to in- 
crease our surprise that so great and so gracious 
results have followed the efforts of our lay teachers 
of religion in this department. It is especially 
important that separate rooms be provided for 
primary and adult classes. On this point one 
writer is very bold, and saith: "Nothing but ex- 
treme poverty can make it less than a crime to 
build without these." If such conveniences could 
be purchased only at the expense of preaching and 
other stated services of the Church, we would be 
the last to advocate them; but, on the contrary, 
seeing how greatly these services may be enhanced 
in interest by a modification of the unitarian, or 
town-hall, style of architecture, we do not hesitate 
to indorse the change. 

Style versus Comfort. — A dwelling that 
is mostly parlor is a home run to seed ; a church 
in like condition is an elegant humbug on the 
home idea. Sensible people — along the whole scale 



472 Incidentals. 



of financial ability — build houses to live in, and 
fit them up accordingly, with a view first of all to 
family comfort, leaving others to build for the 
benefit of the outside critics. The congregation 
that falls a victim to the vain conceits of an in- 
digent " snobocracy " is to be pitied rather than 
blamed. " Gingerbread work " on the outside, and 
a solemn, broke-before-we-finished-it air inside, is 
a style of architecture that has nothing to com- 
mend it. We hold it to be beyond the power of 
man to build a house too fine for the service of God. 
But it is possible to squander our Lord's money in 
"putting on style" where it is not needed, and 
where it can never be made in the slightest degree 
available in such service. The writer has yet to 
see the church, in his estimation, too elegant to be 
dedicated to soul-saving work; he has seen many 
that, in his humble judgment, carried entirely too 
much un dedicated elegance purchased at the sacri- 
fice of facilities for doing the work for which- the 
buildings were professedly erected. A congrega- 
tion needing two or more rooms in order to its most 
effective service in the cause of Christ, and having 
the means to build them, cannot compromise with 
duty by putting all its money into one room, no 
matter how capacious and tasteful that room may 
be made. The gist of the matter is here: It is the 
duty of a congregation in building a church-house 



Architecture. 473 



to provide well for the children that now are, and 
for those that are to come after — being born in 
Zion. "The promise is unto you, and to your chil- 
dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as 
the Lord our God shall call." The true Church is 
theirs as well as ours ; and any architectural 
conceit contrary to this idea is contrary to the 
truth as it is in Jesus Christ, and opposed to the 
progress of his gospel. "Abraham believed God, 
and it was counted unto him for righteousness." 
Do n't you see the point, brother? This may make 
it clearer: If to have a taller spire than your 
neighbor you must mortgage the children's patri- 
mony, leave off the spire. Build first what you 
need most. 

Building Hints. — " First run your stair- way, 
then build your house around it," was the advice 
of a man who was a philosopher as well as a car- 
penter; expressing thus his disgust of the follies 
he had been compelled by his patrons to execute 
against his better judgment. So, if the building 
committee will hear it, first provide for your Sun- 
day-school, then go on with your audience-room. 
If either must wait for more desirable quarters, let 
it be the congregation rather than the school. 
For, depend upon it, if the accommodations pro- 
vided are fit for the school, they will be quite good 
enough for the present. use of those who come 



474 Incidentals. 



to preaching. The school in the audience-room 
will suffer far more inconvenience and loss than 
will the audience in the Sunday-school depart- 
ment. 

Have a definite plan well matured ; begin 
with that, and abide by it to the end. If you are 
not "dead poor," employ an architect to furnish 
drawings. If this cannot be, take time to look 
around ; endeavor by personal inspection and cor- 
respondence to secure the very best plan. Reject 
every one, no matter how attractive, that does not 
embody the Sunday-school idea. If it lacks that, 
it is by so much not fit for a church-home. The 
congregation that has no Sunday-school to take 
care of has precious little use for a house of any 
kind. Its death may be expected at any time; its 
funeral-service will not be largely attended. 

"Architectural Ugliness." — A good fit, 
in a suit of clothes, requires no more cloth than a 
misfit. A handsome building requires no more 
material than an unsightly one of the same dimen- 
sions. Whether a house looks well, or otherwise, 
depends more upon symmetry, or the lack of it, 
than any thing else. "Some of our church-build- 
ers," says the Rev. Dr. Fitzgerald, editor of the 
(Nashville) Christian Advocate, "have a deplorable 
genius for the invention of architectural ugliness. 
It is astonishing to see how much deformity can be 



Architecture. 475 



wrought out of good lumber. The utter absence 
of tastefulness and comfort in many church-build- 
ings indicates, not malicious design surely, but 
marvelous luck in stumbling upon the wrong way 
of doing things. Not every man who can handle 
a jack-plane, a hammer, and a saw, is an architect. 
A man may be able to build a house by a good 

plan who is unable to make the plan 

Every blunder of the builder who feels his way on 
the ultra-cheap line costs time and money. It is 
true economy to pay a fair price to a first-class 
architect, even for a small country church. If our 
official boards would accept this fact, elegance and 
comfort would take the place of clumsiness and 
inconvenience in our houses of worship, and our 
church architecture keep pace with the general 
progress of the times." * 

Concerning Basements. — If you can have 
one as good as any thing you can construct above 
it — that is, good enough for anybody — then there 
can be no just complaint of it as a Sunday-school 
room; but do not put your young people under- 
ground before their decease, lest you may have 
occasion for bitter regrets when they go out from 
among you to return no more. Treat them as well 

* Wanted, by every denomination, an architect em- 
ployed as a salaried officer to furnish plans for its church- 
buildings. 



476 



Incidentals. 



at church as you would at your own home. If you 
do not, they will be tempted to break the ecclesi- 
astical apron-strings and seek a place that suits 
them better. Give them plenty of fresh air and 
pure sunlight. Beware of stained-glass and " a dim 
religious light." If you are quartered in a dingy, 
old basement, get out of it just as soon as you can. 
Designs. 1 — In order to show the practicability 
of the foregoing suggestions with reference to sepa- 
rate apartments in buildings of moderate cost, a few 
simple illustrations are given : 

1 a 





A 




c 


V 


c 





* 
A 


V 


c 


c 



V, vestibule; A, audience-room ; * pulpit; C, C, 
class-rooms. Dotted lines, folding or lifting doors ; 
making entire space available. 



Architecture. 



477 







3 






o 












* 




< 


> 




o 






* 





Remodeling. — An old church can be mod- 
ernized as easily as an old residence. The examples 
presented may be useful as hints in this direction. 
Numbers 1 and 2 are preferable where — as often 
happens — the audience-room is too large for the 
congregation on ordinary occasions. The advan- 
tages of the arrangement indicated — aside from 
Sunday-school uses — are so plain as to be seen at 
once without comment. Who does not know the 
depressing influence of a forty by sixty room upon a 
ten by twelve audience ; especially in services styled 
" social ?" The effect is that of a wet blanket. 

Plan 3 is not recommended except for a church 
w T here the congregation is equal to its capacity. 
In this case the Sunday-school is surely suffering 
for want of room. Add two class-rooms as shown. 
They need not cost much ; three walls, a partition, 
and a shed-roof will complete inclosures. By ex- 



478 Incidentals. 



tending a little to one or both sides, outside entrance 
is gained; add folding-doors to partition, and a 
snug lecture-room is the result. What a blessing 
to the school on Sunday, to the stand-bys at the 
Wednesday evening prayer-meeting, to the Ladies 
Missionary Society, to the official board, and to 
everybody concerned! 

There are extensive galleries in many Southern 
churches of the olden time. Why not utilize them 
for class-rooms? 

The Akron Model.*— "The building of the 
First Methodist Episcopal Society of Akron is a 
large structure of brick and stone, economical and 
thorough, dignified and imposing, costing not far 
from one hundred thousand dollars, the front por- 
tion being the church proper, elegantly finished 
and furnished, and having the home-like look 
Methodist churches are apt to have. Transversely 
at the end is a large building containing the Akron 
Sunday-school, an institution that promises to lift 
the general arrangement and management of Sun- 
day-schools a long way upward and onward 
throughout Christendom. Imagine a room like 
an ordinary opera-house, having but one gallery ; 
divide the space underneath and over the gallery 

* For the accompanying cut we are indebted to Phillips 
& Hunt, New York ; the description quoted is from The 
Study. 



Architecture. 



479 




into compartments or alcoves by partitions from 
floor to ceiling, the direction of the partitions be- 
ing as nearly as possible that of a line from the 
center of the stage to the walls of the room ; hang 
doors at the openings of these subdivisions, and 



480 Incidentals. 



the problem is solved. When the pie is opened 
and the birds begin to sing, they are practically all 
together, and nearly in a semicircle, the best situa- 
tion for an audience. All can see the platform 
and hear without difficulty, sing and read together. 
By the closing of the doors, in the twinkling of an 
eye the circumference of the huge pie is cut into 
sections, and the infant, intermediate, and Bible 
classes are in rooms wholly independent of each 
other. The central part, or rotunda, is occupied 
with groups of chairs for small classes for the 
youths' department. The rooms of the second 
story are entered from a light balcony, extending 
around what would be the front of the dress- 
circle." 

As to Benches.— The sittings to be found 
in a vast majority of the rooms occupied by Sun- 
day-schools are in construction and arrangement 
squarely opposed to comfort and convenience. For 
teachers and small children a more awkward and 
disagreeable device in the way of accommodations 
could hardly be imagined. If your school and 
congregation use the same room in a church-house, 
and are supposed to be blessed with equal rights 
and privileges, the chances are about nine hundred 
to nine you could not, for the life of you, find in 
that room a single seat designed to meet the wants 
of teacher or child. If it id there, the probabilities, 



Architecture. 481 



in about the same proportion, are that the thing 
is an innovation forced upon the original design by 
some headstrong saint of Sunday-school proclivi- 
ties; if otherwise, it proclaims your building com- 
mittee away ahead of the average. Just how to 
meet this common difficulty, of furnishing comfort- 
able sittings for both school and congregation, is a 
problem to the solution of which much thought 
has been given. Various devices have been adopt- 
ed — among others, seats with reversible backs, 
after the fashion of those in railroad-cars. We 
see no reason why — with the exercise of a little 
ingenuity — a few seats constructed on this plan 
might not be introduced at proper intervals in 
every audience-room used by the school. So also 
there is absolutely no reason — aside from such as 
-would be considered uncomplimentary — why foot- 
rests in the shape of low benches should not be 
provided for the little folks. Shoved forward at 
close of school, they would be quite out of the way, 
and yet be of similar service to older people, who 
often feel the need of some such thing while the 
preacher is holding forth and hanging on to the 
patience of his auditors. A neater, and in some 
respects better, rest might be made by hinging a 
piece to the front of the seat near the floor. 

The latest and most approved furniture for the 
main school-room is a chair for each member, and 
31 



482 Incidentals. 



a table for each class ; the table having a hinged 
top, or drawer, for books, papers, etc. ; teachers and 
officers carrying keys. A better arrangement than 
this seems impossible. 



The Infant Class. 483 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE INFANT CLASS. 

" Why has the discussion of so important a 
feature as this been so long postponed?" the reader 
will be ready to inquire; to which we are quite 
as ready to reply : First, because infant class teach- 
ing by modern methods is utterly impossible with- 
out an infant class room ; and second, because, be- 
yond assistance tendered in preceding chapters, 
we can do teachers in this department no better 
service than to recommend a careful study of books 
devoted exclusively to this subject by those who 
have made it a specialty. 

We do not say that no good is accomplished with 
this class in the main school-room, but we do affirm 
that the disadvantages are such as to render the 
"infant department" an indefinite feature of doubt- 
ful propriety. A peculiar genius is required for 
infant class w T ork, under the most favorable con- 
ditions. When this "department" is bounded by 
lines "as invisible as the tropic and polar circles, ,, 
who is sufficient for it? Who has magnetism 
enough to hold attention where so many and so 
great counter attractions are constantly appealing 
to eyes and ears so keen as those possessed by the 
infant class? It is rank injustice for a Church to 
require one of its members — usually an elect lady 



484 Incidentals. 



— to go through so severe an ordeal as this work 
imposes week by week when that Church is able 
to furnish a class-room. "It is," as Eggleston 
says, "a great offense against God's little ones to 
build a church without such a provision." We 
assume the responsibility of suggesting to teachers 
thus imposed upon the duty of bringing the offi- 
cial church-board to hearty repentance of its cruel 
indifference, and to such active faith as shall 
prompt them to say, " We will rise up and build." 

"My ideal room has large folding - doors 
entirely of wood. It has no glass at all, for w T e do 
not care to look out, or to have visitors look in, 
while we are saying our lessons. The floor is level 
and covered with a bright, cheery carpet. By my 
side stands my little table, useful in many ways. 
My bell is not on it, for I lost that some time ago ; 
and I do not care to get another, having found 
greater magnetism in the voice to call to order or 
direct than the tongue of the bell. 

"I am sure you never saw any thing more com- 
fortable or cunning than those little cane-seated 
chairs without arms, and with seats only twelve 
inches high. During the introductory and closing 
exercises the little chairs are arranged in straight 
rows in front of me, but when I give the lesson to 
my assistant teachers they are clustered in groups 
about each teacher, who also sits on one of the 



The Infant Class. 485 



little chairs, so that she may literally become as 
a little child. Such a cosy arrangement would not 
be possible upon a floor elevated by tiers, which 
has become a popular plan, although its popularity 
cannot be based upon comfort. 

"There is still another advantage in the level 
floor ; that is, the room need not be given up wholly 
to the primary class, but may be used for other 
purposes during the week. 

" There is plenty of light and fresh air in my 
room, abundance of sunshine coming in and mak- 
ing us all glad. 

"There are pictures and mottoes on the wall, 
brought by the children to decorate their Sunday 
home. There are plants and vines at the windows 
which require a little of my attention through the 
week. They add much to the element of ' at-home- 
ativeness' which I would have pervade every 
thing. 

"Over in the corner is a small cabinet which 
has in it treasures for illustrating the lesson, such 
as my picture scrap-book, maps, blackboard out- 
lines, etc. 

"My blackboard is not very large, and stands 
on a light easel, so that I can move it to the most 
advantageous positions. 

"The organ is placed at my right-hand. Its 
sweet and sure tones enable me always to give the 



486 Incidentals. 



children the right pitch, and in other ways it is a 
great help to us all. 

" ' It 's quite old in our minds, you see, though 
we 've never got the chance to do it.' But instead 
(if it will be any comfort for you to know it), I 
have taught sometimes in dark, damp basements, 
sometimes in the prayer-meeting rooms with high 
settees. Only once have I had the little chairs ; 
only in two instances has there been a carpet on 
the floor. Sometimes I have used a door for a 
blackboard, and/ indeed, have made the best of 
every kind of inconvenience, with promises and 
hopes of better things by and by. I have tried to 
submit patiently to all these drawbacks to my work, 
being very decided upon one point, however — that 
is, not to teach my class in the general Sunday- 
school room. 

"I firmly believe that my ideal room must con- 
tain some features within the reach of every Sun- 
day-school, and for those who are building or re- 
modeling, its complete realization would not be 
extravagant." — Mrs. Crafts, in " Open Letters to 
Primary Teachers." 

But suppose, after all your efforts to get it, a 
separate room is denied you — what then ? Why, 
the next best thing, of course. In this instance it 
seems to be a temporary screen, behind which you 
may gather your class in the corner of the room 



The Infant Class. 487 



best adapted to your purpose. This may be ac- 
complished with a bit of wire and a few yards of 
cheap curtain stuff — where "looks" or something 
worse does not forbid ; or by means of a light fold- 
ing frame of wood covered with wall-paper, or 
muslin painted in the wall tint. If you cannot get 
something like this, it might be well to ask, at the 
next teachers' meeting, that commissioners be ap- 
pointed to reconstruct the infant department upon 
a more rational basis. 



488 Incidentals. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL CONVENTIONS AND 
INSTITUTES. 

The character and influence of Sunday- 
school conventions are too well and too favorably 
known to admit of extended remarks concerning 
them. From the humble teachers' meeting, which 
lies at the foundation, through township, county, 
and State assemblies — union and denominational — 
up to the grand international, the spirit of wisdom 
and of grace divine approves the movement. To 
them, under the blessing of God, more than to any 
other single agency, is the confessed preeminence 
of our country in Sunday-school enterprise due. 
"They have given currency to improved modes of 
working, they have brought about a better state of 
feeling between the Christian denominations, they 
have given Christian people a better appreciation 
of the superlative value of the Sunday-school as a 
place of Christian labor, and they have produced 
continued and organized effort for Sunday-school 
extension. " * 

The leading objects are, (1) to excite a zeal- 
ous and intelligent interest in the Sunday-school 
work; (2) to diffuse a knowledge of the best 
methods to be employed in the organization, man- 

* Eggleston. 



Sunday-school Conventions and Institutes. 489 



agement, and instruction of Sunday-schools; (3) 
to adopt measures for establishing such schools in 
destitute localities. 

As a means for the accomplishment of these 
objects, the convention in its manifold expressions 
commends itself to every right-minded, right- 
hearted person. It is rooted and grounded in 
common sense and Christian charity. The princi- 
ples upon which it proceeds are these: (1) That no 
Christian has a right to conceal or in any wise 
withhold from his brother any thing that would 
make him a more efficient servant of God ; (2) 
that no laborer in His vineyard has a right to re- 
fuse any opportunity for self - improvement. On 
this platform Sunday-school workers meet to ex- 
change views, to have "all things common" of 
knowledge and wisdom, and by a comparison of 
methods to establish those which promise most 
abundant spiritual results ;• they meet to confer 
together in the name and for the glory of their 
common Lord. 

Conferences of friends and neighbors as to 
public enterprises, domestic, social, and business 
affairs, are of daily occurrence the wide world over ; 
why not on stated occasions for the advancement 
of Christ's kingdom through Sunday-school instru- 
mentality? Why not often er? Why should not 
the officers and teachers of every school and of 



490 Incidentals. 



neighboring schools meet in conference oftener than 
they do? Our blindness to this opportunity is pos- 
itively amazing. Preachers, with joint appoint- 
ments, quarterly -meetings, revival - meetings, dis- 
trict, annual, and general conferences, synods and 
assemblies, have abundant opportunities for com- 
parisons of views and methods. Considering our 
chances, it is a shame that some of us are not better 
preachers than we are. What would we be with 
the limited opportunities of thousands of Sunday- 
school officers and teachers who from one year's 
end to another never get beyond the walls of their 
own school-rooms; who, as individuals, never see 
another school opened and closed — never see 
another class taught? Taking this view of it, 
brother preacher, do n't you think that these Sun- 
day-school workers of whom such complaint is 
made do pretty well for their chances? Keally, 
do n't you think they deserve more credit than they 
usually receive for being what they are? How 
would you like to take their chances of improve- 
ment? You cannot get along without the stimulus 
of books and periodicals devoted to your branch 
of service. What do you reckon their chances are 
in this line beyond the "lesson-helps?" It might 
be well for you to hold a conference with them on 
the subject. Ask them if they would not like to 
have a conference with the officers and teachers of 



Sunday-school Conventions and Institutes. 491 



adjacent schools. The reason why such occasions 
are not more frequent is simply this : the preachers 
whom they have been trained to look upon as 
leaders do not lead in this direction as often as 
they should. 

Preliminary Measures. — When a conven- 
tion, conference — or whatever you may choose to call 
it — has been decided upon, fix upon a suitable time. 
This is especially important in the country ; farmers 
have their busy seasons ; choose a time of leisure. 
Have an attractive programme printed and scat- 
tered like leaves of the forest in every school, and 
as far as possible in every home, throughout the 
territory to be represented. Invite speakers from 
abroad, but do not depend too much upon them ; 
utilize home-folks. Have the matter announced 
and exhorted upon from the pulpits, and through 
the newspapers ; talk it up ; work it up ; keep it 
before the people. Fix a ratio of representation 
if entertainment is likely to prove embarrassing, 
but invite everybody to attend. Appoint local 
committees to provide homes for delegates from a 
distance, to make the assembly-room inviting; to 
secure available musical talent and singing prac- 
tice ; include in the list selected a few pieces that 
" everybody knows ; " and finally, let Christians be 
exhorted to pray that the occasion may be signal- 
ized by the presence of " power from on high." 



492 Incidentals. 



In Convention. — Organize promptly; have 
as few officers as possible — a chairman, a secretary ; 
rarely more than these. Give the first fifteen to 
thirty minutes of each session to devotional exer- 
cises, besides calling to prayer as often thereafter 
as manifest tokens will indicate. Let the prayers 
be earnest, pointed. Limit speakers to the time 
prescribed in the programme; usually fifteen or 
twenty mintues for opening remarks, five for those 
who follow. Ring them down promptly at the ex- 
piration of that time; if it is desirable that they 
should be heard further, a motion to that effect is in 
order. Let this idea be insisted upon throughout, 
and if need be enforced — stick to the point Allow 
no one to divert attention by the introduction of 
foreign subjects; press toward the distinctive ob- 
jects for which the convention is called, and dis- 
mount the brother who would ride his favorite 
imported hobby over you. In all these things the 
discretion of the chairman will be put to the test; 
firmness must go hand in hand with kindliness. By 
all means give the children — who are sometimes 
debarred day-time attendance — a mass-meeting at 
night. Put up speakers who know how to instruct 
as well as amuse. Clownishness is utterly out of 
place in such a service. 

Sunday-school institutes differ in many 
respects from conventions ; their leading feature is 



Sunday-school Conventions and institutes. 493 



instruction by example in the various duties of the 
class and the school-room. They are really large 
normal classes, requiring more skillful direction 
and a longer time than conventions. They are 
conducted by experts, who, by turns, explain and 
illustrate in a most practical way the various phases 
of Sunday-school work. The value of such exer- 
cises wisely conducted cannot be estimated. As, 
for reasons which need not be stated, institutes are 
impracticable in many places where conventions 
may be held, the programme of the latter should 
as often as possible embrace some features of the 
former. This is entirely practicable ; a combina-. 
tion that is in every way desirable. Free conver- 
sation between the conductor of any particular 
exercise and the audience is the means of bringing 
out many valuable points that would otherwise 
escape notice. 

Topics. — Following is a list, gathered from 
various sources, which will be found of assistance 
in making up a programme. The example given 
at the close is a copy of a programme used by the 
writer in a round of thirty-six appointments — made 
and met as Sunday-school Secretary of the Holston 
Conference — beginning January 5, and ending 
September 27, 1881; territorial extremes repre- 
sented by Dade county, Georgia; Mercer county, 
West Virginia; Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee; 



494 Incidentals. 



and Blue Ridge, North Carolina. These facts are 
mentioned in no boastful spirit, but merely as a 
hint with regard to the possibilities of convention 
work : 

The Sunday-school idea in the Bible. 

To what should the Sunday-school devote its collections? 

Duties of officers of the Church to the Sunday-school. 

Relation of the pastor to the Sunday-school, and his duty 
toward it in the study, the pulpit, the school-room, and the 
family. 

Duty of the school to the pastor. 

"Who should be held responsible for closing a school for 
the winter? 

The library — its proper character and value. 

How may the pastor interest his pupils in the preaching- 
service? 

Duties of the assistant superintendent ; secretary; libra- 
rian; treasurer. 

What is the best hour for the session ? how long should 
it continue? and how much time should be devoted to reci- 
tation ? 

The model Sunday-school room described. 

Interruption of teachers — how avoided. 

Regular and punctual attendence of all the members — 
how secured. 

Infant class teaching. 

The power of example in and out of school. 

Different methods of teaching different classes, and ex- 
amples of best methods. 

How to organize normal classes. 

Should unconverted teachers be employed? 

The teacher's mission, motive, and character. 



Sunday-school Conventions and Institutes. 495 



How should visitors to the school be treated? 

Who should select teachers? 

The use and abuse of special meetings for children. 

To whom are teachers responsible for their teaching and 
conduct? 

Country schools — their peculiar difficulties and demands. 

The teachers' meeting — how organized and how con- 
ducted. 

The superior value of "Teachers' Bibles," and best 
editions. 

How may the art of talking to children be cultivated ? 

Sunday-school shams. 

The secret of successful teaching. 

Claims of the children of irreligious parents on the 
Church. 

Training teachers. 

How to interest the school in foreign mission work. 

Wanted — more spirituality in the Sunday-school ; how 
is it to be attained? 

How may scholars be induced to study the lesson during 
the week? 

Our text-book — the Bible — and how to use it. 

Illustrations — how to find and how to use them. 

What constitutes a gospel call to Sunday-school work? 

Training the school to punctual attendance and prompt 
obedience. 

Tests of successful teaching. 

Kecreations — lectures, socials, concerts, festivals, pic- 
nics, etc. 

Influence of Sunday-school work upon the family, the 
Church, and the world. 

Habits of lesson-study at odd moments, and how formed. 



496 Incidentals. 



Home help ; how to be secured. 

Common mistakes in teaching. 

Possible improvements upon present Sunday-school 
methods. 

Importance of a thorough knowledge of the lesson on 
the part of the superintendent. 

How may we increase the number and efficiency of 
schools in the territory represented in this convention? 

How to make Sunday - school material available in 
Church-service. 

Best method of taking collections. 

What methods should be used in educating parents with 
respect to their duty as related to our work? 

How to manage a class of rough boys. 

What relation do Sunday-school contributions bear to 
other financial operations of the Church? 

How to tone up a weak school. 

The Sunday-school for all ages, classes, and conditions. 

What does your school most need to make it what it 
ought to be ? 

How can we keep our young men and young women in 
the Sunday-school? 

Lesson-helps ; their use and abuse. 

What are the objects of the Sunday-school, and what 
advantages does it afford ? 

Who should attend Sunday-school, and why ? 

How may members of a school work in its interest dur- 
ing the week? 

Sunday-school music; its use and abuse. 

The office, duties, and qualifications of a superintendent. 

Characteristics of an efficient teacher. 

Opening and closing exercises of the school. 



Sunday-school Conventions and Institutes. 497 



The secretary and the records. 

The library and its management. 

Christian discipleship, or the Sunday-school a means of 
grace to old and young. 

Defects in Sunday-school organization and management ; 
their cause and cure. 

Jesus the model Teacher. 

Wanted — more teachers, and better teaching; how are 
we to get them ? 

Addresses by members of the Grumbler's Club. Topic, 
" Sunday-school trials and tribulations." 

What are we authorized to expect as the immediate 
results and final reward of faithful service in the Sunday- 
school ? 



" It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of 
these little ones should perish." (Matt xviii. 14.) 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL CONFERENCE, 

To be held at Franklin, N. C, May 20, 21, 1881. 

Fiest Session. 

(Ten o'clock.) 

Devotional Exercises and Organization. 
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION: 

1. Upon what grounds does the Sunday-school deserve 
the sympathy and support of all good people? 

2. Is the religious education of our young people keep- 
ing pace with secular education? 

32 



498 Incidentals. 



Second Session. 
Prayer for Pastors and Superintendents. 

1. Verbal reports from pastors and Sunday-school work- 
ers, with special reference to destitution and difficulties. 

2. How may preachers and people cooperate in organ- 
izing new schools, and in making more efficient those 
already established? 

3. Under what circumstances are union schools advis- 
able? 

4. What should our young people read, and how are 
they to get it? 

Third Session. 

Prayer for Teachers and Scholars. 

1. How can we secure for our schools a more liberal 
financial support? 

2. Working for the Sunday-school during the week. 

3. School-room work illustrated and explained. (1) 
Preliminary duties ; (2) Opening the school ; (3) Teaching 
a class — (a) Securing attention, (6) The art of questioning, 
(c) Illustrative and object teaching, (d) Application of the 
lesson ; (4) Closing the school — (a) Records, (b) Library, 
(c) Superintendent's review, with blackboard exercise. 

Fourth Session. 
Prayer for Neglected Children. 

1. What circumstances justify closing a school for the 
winter? 

2. By what means can the Sunday-school be made a 
more potent auxiliary to the pulpit — in bringing souls to 
Christ, and in caring for those who profess religion? 

3. Experience and consecration service. 

Adpvrnment. 



# 
Sunday-school Conventions and Institutes. 499 



Note. — This meeting is not for Sunday-school workers only — all 
friends of morality and religion are cordially invited to attend. 
One or more delegates are expected from every Southern Methodist 
school, and from every Southern Methodist congregation without 
a school, in the charges to be represented. Preachers, traveling 
and local, and superintendents, are members ex officio. Service 
rendered is the measure of the Master's reward. Be prompt — put 
in full time. The Sunday-school Secretary will, if possible, be 
present at the hour designated. His absence need occasion no de- 
lay. Organize, and proceed according to programme. First speech 
on a topic fifteen minutes, others five minutes each. Good singing 
is expected from the school where Conference is to be held. Pre- 
serve this programme for future reference. Read it, study it, pray 
over it. Come prepared to give as well as receive help. Ask " our 
Father" to make this meeting of his children a blessing to them 
and to their children. 






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COLLECTION ENVELOPE. 


Contributions, 


Class No... 






Teacher. 


Sundav-schooL 






Sun- 
day. 

i 


Jan. 


Feb. 


Mar. 


Apr. 


May. 


June. 














2 














3 














4 














5 














Total 
for Mo. 














Total First Quarter, 




Total Second Qr., 




Sun- 
day. 


July. 


Aug:. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


Nov. 


Dec. 


X 














2 

3 

4 

5 

Total 
for Mo. 






























































Total Third Quarter, 




Total Fourth Qr., 




Total for the Year 


18 


$ 






Instbuctioxs.— Distribute the envelopes before school is called to order. Be- 
fore recitation each teacher will put the contribution into the envelope, mark the 
amount upon it and place where the treasurer can get it without interrupting 
the lesson. He will collect the envelopes, verify the figures bv counting contents, 
enter proper credits upon his record, and r port at close of school. 



(503) 







LIBRARY CHECK. 








Scholav s Name, 












.Residence. 


Class No.- 








Teacher- 










j 


Sp.r.veiarv . 




Jan. 
Feb. 


1 
1 


2 
2 


3 
3 


4 
4 


5 
5 


July 


1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


Aug. 


1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


Mar. 


1 


2 
2 


3 
3 


4 
4 


5 
5 


Sept. 


1 


2 
2 


3 
3 


4 
4 


5 

5 


Apr. 


1 


Oct. 


1 


May 


1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


Nov. 


1 


2 


3 
3 


4 
4 


5 
5 


June 


1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


Bee. 


1 


2 



(504) 



Li 

Scholar. 


SUND. 

BRA 

y Name, 
o. 


A.Y-SCHOOL 

ry Card. 


Class iV 








Teacher. 






Numbers of Books Wanted. 




























































































i 











(505) 



BOOKS FOR OFFICERS AND TEACHERS. 



The demand for intelligent service in the Sun- 
day-school is urgent; made so not less by the 
abundant opportunities afforded us than by the 
rapid development of secular knowledge of all 
kinds. The spirit of enterprise manifested on 
every hand, and more particularly in the matter 
of scholastic training and publishing interests, 
warns us of our duty. With the advent of the 
printing-press the days of tradition were numbered. 
This is a reading age ; and the Sunday-school worker 
who refuses the manifold facilities for improvement 
pressed upon him in publications, expressly for his 
benefit, shuts his eyes to the light, and need not 
wonder if the people repudiate his pretensions to 
leadership. It is his duty to keep abreast of the 
times in all that pertains to his improvement as a 
teacher of the religion of Christ, one glory of 
which is its promise of endless progression in 
knowledge, holiness, happiness. 

But while this demand of which we speak is 
steadily increasing, so, we are happy to believe, is 
the disposition to meet it. Certain it is that solid 
religious publications and related literature were 
never in such request as at present. With a view 
to assisting officers and teachers in procuring books 
adapted to their wants, a select list is here pre- 
sented. Any publication mentioned may be or- 
(506) 



dered of the Southern Methodist Publishing House, 
Nashville, Tenn., and will be sent to any address 
on receipt of price : 

BIBLES AND COMMENTARIES. 

Oxford Teachers' Bibles. 
Clarke's Commentary, 4 or 6 

vols. 
Benson's Commentary, 5 vols. 
Summers's Commentaries — 

Matthew to Komans. 
Whedon's Commentary, Old 

Testament in part, 4 vols. 



Whedon's Commentary, New 
Testament complete, 5 
vols. 

Clarke's Commentary, New 
Testament in 1 vol. 

Burkitt's Notes on New Tes- 
tament, 2 vols. 



BIBLICAL REFERENCE. 



Cruden's Complete Concord- 
ance. 

Cruden's Abridged Concord- 
ance. 

Brown's Pocket Concordance. 

Young's Analytical Concord- 
ance. 

Claris Harmonies of the 
Gospel. 

Robinson's Harmony of the 
Gospels. 

Strong's Harmony of the 
Gospels. 

Hand-book of Bible Manners 
and Customs, Freeman. 



Hand-book of Bible Manners 
and Customs, Kitto. 

Bible Antiquities, Nevin. 

Watson's Biblical and Theo- 
logical Dictionary. 

Smith's Bible Dictionary. 

Granbery's Bible Dictionary. 

Bible Expositor. 

History of the English Bi- 
ble, Freeman. 

Scripture Help, Bickersteth. 

Bible Thoughts and Themes, 
Bonar. 

Manual of Biblical Litera- 
ture, Strickland. 



BIBLE GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL. 



Coleman's Historical Text- 
book and Atlas. 

Biblical Researches in Pales- 
tine, 3 vols., Robinson. 

The Land and the Book, 2 
vols., Thompson. 

Hand-book of Bible Geogra- 
phy, Whitney. 

To the East by Way of the 
West, Marvin; etc. 



Biblical Atlas and Scripture 
Gazetteer. 

Recent Travels and Explo- 
rations in the Holy Land, 
De Haas. 

Wanderings Over Bible 
Lands and Seas. 

Bible Lands, Van Lennep. 

Bible Work in Bible Lands, 
Bird, 

(507) 



SUNDAY-SCHOOL THEORY AND PRACTICE. 



The Sunday-school Idea, 

Hart. 
The Sunday-school Index, 

Pardee, 
History of Sunday-schools, 

Candler. 
First Fifty Years of Sunday- 
schools. 
The Sunday-school Teacher, 

Summers. 
The Child in the Midst, Left- 

wich. 
Open Letters to Primary 

Teachers, Mrs. Crafts. 
Sunday-school Institutes and 

Normal Classes, Vincent. 



The Church - school and its 
Officers, Vincent. 

A Model Superintendent, 
Trumbull. 

Forty Years' Experience in 
Sunday-schools, Tung. 

Our Children, Haygood. 

The Blackboard in Sunday- 
schools, Beard. 

Through the Eye to the 
Heart, Crafts. 

Normal Class Guide, Spencer. 

The Infant Sunday-school. 

Keports of Proceedings Int. 
Convention: etc. 



HELPS TO METHOD. 



The Jewel-case, 6 vols, (ser- 
mons to children), Newton. 
Truth Made Simple, Todd. 
Story of the Bible, Foster. 

RKQUI 

Complete Sunday - school 

Becord Book. 
Complete Sunday - school 

Register. 
Minute Book. 
Class Book. 
Library Record. 
Library Cards. 
Teachers' Class Cards. 
Scholars' Class Cards. 
(508) 



Pilgrim's Progress. 
Lectures to Children, Todd. 
Outlines of Sunday-school 
Lectures. 

SITES. 

Maps of Palestine. 

Maps of St. Paul's Travels. 

Maps of Peninsular of Mt. 
Sinai. 

Collection Envelopes. 

Sunday-school Tickets and 
Reward Cards. 

Call-bells ; Song-books ; Cate- 
chisms ; Libraries ; Period- 
ical Literature ; etc. 



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